Photoresponsive Delivery of Nanovectors: A Review of Concepts and Applications

Stimuli-triggered nanovectors for drug delivery enhance the clinical efficacy and decrease the toxicity by specifically conveying the drugs to the site of target with a higher specificity and efficiency. Several stimuli were regarded, but light as an exogenous stimulus tenders several benefits in clinical usage like elevated spatial and temporal control economically. A number of photochemical mechanisms have been exploited in design of phototriggered nanocarriers for biomedical applications. Light in conjugation with photosensitizers or imaging agents in nanovectors can be truly rewarding to ensure precise diagnosis, drug delivery and improve therapeutic outcomes. Nanomedicine plays a key role in enhancing therapeutic efficacy and limiting the adverse effects. The review evaluates the multiple nanocarriers such as liposomes, polymersomes, micelles, nanogels etc., which have leveraged the advantages of phototargeting via photothermal, photochemical, photo isomerization and upconversion based activation strategies for efficient drug targeting to intracellular and other regions. The significant benefits and constraints, an overview of the implementation and latest developments for the most popular and recent photoresponsive drug delivery methods are discussed to critically judge its success and limitations and delve upon the possible future perspectives in the field.