ReviewNaunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology2026
Next-generation photodynamic cancer therapy: purpurin-based nanocarriers as emerging photosensitizers.
Review in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, 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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0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading global health burden, with approximately 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths reported in 2022, and projections indicating a substantial rise by 2050. Nearly one in five individuals is expected to develop cancer during their lifetime, underscoring the urgent need for more effective and targeted therapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a minimally invasive modality that utilizes photosensitizers, light, and oxygen to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) for localized tumor destruction. However, conventional photosensitizers are limited by poor solubility, low tumor selectivity, and suboptimal photostability. This review critically examines purpurin-18 and related chlorin-based nanocarriers as next-generation photosensitizer systems for PDT. Although their names are similar, purpurin-18 is chemically distinct from natural anthraquinone purpurin and is classified as a chlorin-type tetrapyrrolic macrocycle. Due to its red-light absorption, ROS-generating capacity, and chemical modifiability, purpurin-18 has shown improved therapeutic potential when incorporated into nanocarrier systems. Nanocarrier engineering significantly improves photosensitizer dispersibility, stability, and tumor targeting, enabling enhanced intracellular uptake and apoptosis induction across multiple cancer models. Despite promising preclinical outcomes, challenges related to safety, biodistribution, standardized photophysical characterization, and clinical translation persist. Future directions include the development of stimuli-responsive systems, combinatorial therapeutic strategies, and AI-assisted nanocarrier optimization to advance purpurin-18-based nano-PDT toward clinical applicability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42629420What OpenQuestion holds
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 OpenQuestion graph.