Nanomaterials in Anticancer Photodynamic Therapy Treatment
A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 February 2026 | Viewed by 7
Special Issue Editor
Interests: nanomaterials; metamaterials; nanotheranostics; nanodosimetry; ultrafast optics; X-ray photodynamic therapy; diffuse optical tomography; ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) – the use of light to excite photoactive molecules (photosensitizers: PSs) whose subsequent relaxation and energy transfer result in the production of highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species – has proven a potent and minimally invasive means of treating a variety of cancers that include pancreatic, esophageal, respiratory tract, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Broader oncologic application of PDT, however, has been limited by the technique’s restricted treatment depth, significant PS hydrophobicity and side effects, absence/inefficiency of tumor targeting, and non-therapeutic activation by ambient light sources (natural and man-made) prior to PS clearance. Recent efforts have sought to mitigate, circumvent, or preclude these limitations via nanoplatform delivery of PSs, exploiting the nanoplatform’s environmental shielding of its therapeutic moieties to minimize systemic/collateral toxicity and the nanoplatform’s expansive, readily functionalized surface to enable targeting ligand conjugation, immune surveillance escape, and PS controlled release/activation. This Special Issue of Nanomaterials presents the current state-of-the-art nanoplatform-based PDT materials and methods in both clinical and preclinical settings. Potential areas of interest for this Special Issue include (but are not limited to):
- Novel Materials and Syntheses (e.g., metal-organic frameworks, organic/inorganic hybrids, self-assembling platforms, smart materials, bio-metamaterials);
- Novel Cancer-Targeting Moieties and Strategies (e.g., tumor microenvironment targeting, evasion of immune surveillance, immune system activation, and synergism);
- Novel Therapeutic Release/Activation Mechanisms (smart/autonomous, internal excitation, external control/activation via x-ray/two-photon/ultrasonic/electromagnetic field);
- Enhancements in Nanoplatform Biodistribution, Bioelimination, and Biocompatibility
- Enhancements in Physiological Barrier Penetration (e.g., Blood–Brain Barrier, Mucosal Barrier, Tumor Stroma, Intratumoral Pressure Gradient);
- Advances in Combinational Therapy (e.g., co-delivery of PDT with chemotherapeutics or immunotherapeutics) and Image Guidance (e.g., real-time monitoring of nanoplatform accumulation within tumors during treatment).
Dr. Jeffrey S. Souris
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- photodynamic therapy
- nanoplatform
- cancer therapy
- photosensitizer
- reactive oxygen species
- hypoxia
- hybrid nanoparticle
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
