Hydrogel-based phototherapy for fighting cancer and bacterial infection

基于水凝胶的光疗:对抗癌症和细菌感染（英文）

Hydrogels constitute a group of polymeric materials which can hold a large amount of water in their three-dimensional networks due to their hydrophilic struc- tures. In the past few years, they have been researched for various biomedical applications, such as drug/cell carriers, tissue engineering, and biosensors. Particularly, the hy- drogels used as drug delivery systems have shown distinct advantages in phototherapy. This review presents recent advancements of hydrogel＇s use in phototherapeutic applica- tions by focusing on three kinds of phototherapentic methods including photodynamic therapy （PDT）, photothermal therapy （PTT）, and phototherapy-containing combination therapy （PCCT）. The applications of these therapies in anti- cancer and antibacterial fields have also been summarized. We hope that this review will inspire researchers to further develop promising materials for phototherapy applications.

水凝胶构成了一类高分子材料,它们的亲水结构使得其能够在三维网络中保有大量的水.在过去几年中,水凝胶在生物医学领域的应用获得了很大的关注,如作为药物或细胞的载体、组织工程和生物传感器等.特别地,水凝胶作为药物输运系统在光疗中拥有显著优点.本综述总结了水凝胶在光疗应用中的最新进展,尤其重点讨论了三种光疗方法(包括光动力治疗、光热治疗和组合治疗)及其在抗癌和抗菌领域的应用.