ReviewFrontiers in chemistry2026
Recent advances in photodynamic therapy systems based on pillar[n]arene host-guest chemistry.
Review in Frontiers in chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive and low-toxicity strategy for tumors and bacterial infections. However, conventional small-molecule photosensitizers have poor water solubility, severe aggregation-caused quenching and weak tumor targeting, restricting their clinical translation. Macrocyclic host-guest supramolecular assembly improves the performance of photosensitizers via reversible noncovalent recognition. Pillar[n]arenes feature symmetric electron-rich cavities, abundant modifiable sites and wide guest compatibility, showing outstanding advantages over cyclodextrins, calixarenes and cucurbiturils for responsive photosensitizing platforms. This review summarizes recent advances of pillar[n]arene host-guest systems in PDT. We introduce the structural and recognition features of pillar[n]arenes, classify the fabrication of pillar[n]arene-photosensitizer complexes, and interpret how host-guest inclusion alleviates fluorescence quenching, elevates singlet oxygen yield and triggers tumor microenvironment-responsive drug release. Their applications in anti-tumor PDT, antibacterial photodynamic disinfection and imaging-guided therapy are outlined. We also discuss translational obstacles including insufficient biocompatibility and limited deep-tissue penetration, and propose future directions involving targeted functionalization, multi-modal synergy and degradable macrocyclic skeletons. This work clarifies the structure-activity relationship of pillar[n]arene-based PDT systems and offers guidelines for designing high-performance supramolecular theranostic agents.
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