SynthesisInternational journal of nanomedicine2026
Nanomedicine-Integrated Phototherapy for Cancer Theranostics: A Systematic Review of Photoresponsive Materials, Mechanisms, and Clinical Translation.
Synthesis in International journal of nanomedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Cancer remains a principal cause of mortality worldwide, and conventional treatments are constrained by non-specific cytotoxicity, therapeutic resistance, and incomplete tumor eradication. Nanomedicine-integrated phototherapy, encompassing photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), has emerged as a spatiotemporally controlled theranostic modality with demonstrated preclinical promise. Objective: This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on nanomedicine-based phototherapeutic agents across four research dimensions: nanotechnology design, phototherapeutic mechanisms, photoresponsive materials, and clinical translation. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase (2000-2024) using predefined search terms related to nanomedicine, PDT, PTT, and cancer theranostics. Studies were screened according to PRISMA-aligned inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 1847 records were identified; following deduplication and full-text review, 78 studies met eligibility criteria and were included in the narrative synthesis. Results: Nanocarrier design has advanced substantially, with enhanced permeability and retention (EPR)-mediated and active-targeted platforms achieving 10-50-fold tumor-to-tissue concentration ratios in preclinical models. Photoresponsive nanomaterials (including gold nanostructures with PCE 50-99%, carbon-based nanomaterials with PCE 40-80%, and hybrid metal-organic frameworks) demonstrate tunable optical properties suitable for NIR-activated therapy. Multifunctional theranostic platforms combining PDT or PTT with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and multimodal imaging show synergistic efficacy. Clinical translation remains limited, with gold nanoshells (AuroLase Therapy, Nanospectra Biosciences) in Phase I evaluation for prostate cancer and several PDT photosensitizer formulations carrying regulatory approval. Conclusion: Nanomedicine-integrated phototherapy addresses fundamental limitations of conventional oncology. Realizing its clinical potential requires development of biodegradable nanocarriers, standardized characterization protocols, companion diagnostics for patient stratification, and coordinated regulatory pathways. EPR variability in human tumors and the predominance of preclinical data necessitate a calibrated assessment of translational feasibility.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.