Recent advances and prospects in organic molecule-based phototheranostic agents for enhanced cancer phototherapy

Phototherapy, includes photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), which combine light with an adequate wavelength and a chemical phototheranostic agent in the absence or presence of oxygen, possesses substantial potential for cancer treatment due to its significant specificity, extremely low invasiveness, flexible administration, and effective cancer therapy. In recent years, organic molecules have engaged extensive attention as potential optical agents for phototherapy because of their definite molecular structure, synthetic flexibility, tailored photophysical properties, and excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this review, we address current research advances in organic molecule-based phototheranostic agents and discuss the strategies to enhance phototherapy. Current bottlenecks and future perspectives of next-generation organic molecule-based phototheranostic agents for amplified phototherapy are also itemized and discussed.