Polymer mediated light responsive therapeutics delivery system to treat cancer

The concept of light therapy is not a new one in the treatment of diseases; however, the concept is relatively new in the delivery of drugs. It is particularly important to mention that the concept of light activation can be used in the specific treatment of cancer, given that heat can induce apoptotic changes in cancer cells. Our literature review discovered that most polymer-based light-responsive drug delivery systems were designed specifically to treat cancer. The present review systematically presents different types of light (ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, etc.) and their associated responsive materials. We briefly illustrate the potential drug delivery systems that utilized light to treat cancer and utilized polymers as an integral component of the formulation. Chitosan, albumin, hyaluronic acid, polyethylene glycol, poly-L-glycolic acid, poly-lactic acid, and polycaprolactone-mediated light-sensitive systems are briefly discussed. In addition, various mechanisms by which light-activated systems work are also discussed, and a note on luminescence and bio-luminescence is also provided. At last, we critically discussed the challenges and their respective solutions point-wise. Consequently, this review can be regarded as an important step in the development of future research projects that involve the use of light as one of the components of the therapeutic effectiveness of the system.