Development of mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles for cancer phototherapy

The mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs)-based nanoplatform has garnered increasing attention in the field of cancer phototherapy, owing to the unique characteristics of MSNs, such as biocompatibility, high loading capacity, high stability, tunable pore size, and facile functionalization. Notably, MSNs serve as optimal nanocarriers to incorporate phototherapeutic agents for cancer phototherapy, effectively circumventing the intrinsic limitations associated with such agents, such as poor water solubility, rapid photobleaching, and limited photostability. This review provides a synopsis of recent advancements in the development of MSNs-based nanoplatform for cancer phototherapy. Firstly, the incorporation of photosensitizers into the pores of MSNs, facilitating enhanced photodynamic efficacy, is discussed. Subsequently, the inherent stability of MSNs, which shields metal nanomaterials from shape transformation, leading to improved photostability and photothermal conversion efficiency, is introduced. Furthermore, the tunable pore size of MSNs, enabling the loading of diverse therapeutic agents for synergistic cancer phototherapy, is described in detail. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives of MSNs-based nanoplatform in the cancer phototherapy field are discussed.