Cell membrane-based biomimetic technology for cancer phototherapy: Mechanisms, recent advances and perspectives

Despite significant advances in medical technology and antitumour treatments, the diagnosis and treat-ment of tumours have undergone remarkable transformations. Noninvasive phototherapy methods, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), have gained significant interest in anti-tumour medicine. However, traditional photosensitisers or photothermal agents face challenges like im-mune system recognition, rapid clearance from the bloodstream, limited tumour accumulation, and pho-totoxicity concerns. Researchers combine photosensitisers or photothermal agents with natural cell mem-branes to overcome these obstacles to create a nano biomimetic therapeutic platform. When used to coat nanoparticles, red blood cells, platelets, cancer cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, and bacterial outer mem-branes could provide prolonged circulation, tumour targeting, immune stimulation, or antigenicity. This article covers the principles of cellular membrane biomimetic nanotechnology and phototherapy, along with recent advancements in applying nano biomimetic technology to PDT, PTT, PCT, and combined diag-nosis and treatment. Furthermore, the challenges and issues of using nano biomimetic nanoparticles in phototherapy are discussed.