Photoactivation Strategies for Therapeutic Release in Nanodelivery Systems

Abstract Control of therapeutic release constitutes one of most critical aspects considered in the design of nanoscale delivery systems. There are a variety of cellular factors and external stimuli employed for release control. Of these, use of light offers various photoactivation mechanisms that enable to effectively engage in therapeutic release. It also allows a higher degree of spatial and temporal control. Over recent decades, the application of photoactivation strategies has seen remarkable growth and made a significant impact on rapid advances in the field of drug delivery. This Review aims to summarize the fundamental concepts and practical applications demonstrated recently in numerous therapeutic areas from cancers to infectious diseases. Its scope is defined by a focus on those photoactivation strategies that occur via either linker cleavage, nanocontainer gating, or disassembly. Each of these is discussed with specific examples and underlying mechanisms that comprise linker photolysis, photoisomerization, photothermal heating, or photodynamic reactions with reactive oxygen species. In summary, this Review provides an inclusive summary of new developments and insights obtained from recent progress in photoactivation strategies and their applications in therapeutic nanodelivery.