[Use of nanoparticles (NP) in photodynamic therapy (PDT) against cancer]

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a promising interdisciplinary field for developing improved methods of diagnosis and treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Give their optical, magnetic, and structural property, the nanoparticles have been proposed to be use in the development of unconventional treatments for cancer such as photodynamic therapy (PDT). In PDT, a photosensitizing agent is used that accumulates in tumor cells, generating reactive oxygen species that causes the death of malignant cells after irradiation with light at a particular wavelength. However, the use of PDT presents different problems in its application due to the characteristics of hydrophobicity of the photosensitizers, which hinder the efficiency of administration and treatment. It is here where the use of nanoparticles is proposed as a delivery vehicle to optimize treatment application. In this review we describe the use of nanoparticles coupled to PDT in the treatment of cancer and its molecular mechanism of action.