Phototherapy:progress,challenges,and opportunities

Phototherapy has emerged as a promising modality in modern medicine,attracting significant attention due to its non-invasiveness,exceptional spatiotemporal controllability,and reduced side effects.Advanced technologies have been developed in phototherapy,encompassing three main approaches:photodynamic therapy,photothermal therapy,and photoactivatable prodrug-based therapy.In this review,we present photosensitizers,photothermal agents,and photoactivatable prodrugs,along with photo-responsive carriers used in therapy.Subsequently,we discuss the advantages of phototherapy in combating cancer,infections,and other diseases.Additionally,we highlight the benefits of combining phototherapy with other treatments,as single-mode therapeutic modalities often fail to achieve satisfactory efficiency.Finally,we address the current challenges in developing effective phototherapy agents,particularly regarding their clinical applications.We believe that advancements in phototherapy will promote non-invasive theranostic techniques for clinical studies.