Photodynamic therapy based on metal-organic framework in cancer treatment: A comprehensive review of integration strategies for synergistic combination therapies

Recent advancements in cancer therapy have prompted the exploration of innovative and synergistic treatment modalities to minimize side effects and enhance efficacy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) leverages the ability of photosensitizers (PS) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated by molecular oxygen and light. Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials are distinguished by their high porosity, abundant surface functional groups, and tunable chemophysical characteristics, which allows for the engineering of nanoparticles for diverse therapies and imaging applications. These characteristics originate from the building blocks of MOFs, which are metallic ions or clusters and organic constituents. This paper outlines a systematic path, beginning with the history, principles, and mechanism of PDT in cancer therapy. Since combining MOF-based PDT with other treatment modalities has shown promising results in preclinical studies, further optimization of these combination strategies is needed to maximize the therapeutic efficacy. So, the novelty of this review stems from the comprehensive systematic exploration of the recent advances of MOFs- and nMOFs-based PDT in cancer mono- and multi-therapy.