Table 2.

Cancer targeting efficiency of biocompatible nanocarriers in PDT.

Name of the Nanocarriers/Targeting Ligand/Photosensitizers/Drug Used	Target	Cancer Treatment (In Vitro/In Vivo)	Outcomes	Reference
Folic acid-functionalized and Poly-lactic acid (PLA) coated, Indocyanine green loaded colloidal gold nanobipyramid	Folate receptor	Murine melanoma B16-F10 cell line (in vitro)	The synthesized nanocarriers targeted the overexpressed folate receptor on the membrane of B16-F10 cells, which also showed improved photothermal and photodynamic activity when irradiated with both 785 and 808 nm lasers.	[108]
Iridium (III) nano-PS self-assembled with hyaluronic acid (HA)	CD 44 receptor	Mouse metastatic breast cancer cells (4T1.2) (in vitro)	Nano-PS treated cells were irradiated by 532 nm light. The CD 44 receptor targeting efficiency of HA-coated nanoparticles showed excellent cellular uptake and mitochondria accumulation abilities, and it significantly improved the phototoxicity in 4T1.2 cells.	[109]
Protoporphyrin IX-loaded hyaluronic acid-based polymeric micelles	CD 44 receptor	CD44 overexpressing A549 cells (in vitro)	It is observed that the synthesized micelles showed an increased cellular uptake and enhanced phototoxic activity in CD44, overexpressing A549 cells in both 2D and 3D cultures.	[110]
Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide-functionalized chlorin e6 (Ce6) loaded PEGylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles	avβ3 integrin	The human glioma cell line of U87 MG cells (in vitro)	Confocal laser scanning microscopy study confirmed the cellular targeting efficiency and cellular internalization of RGD functionalized nanoparticles in U87 MG cells. 660 nm laser irradiation on RGD functionalized nanoparticles resulted in improved cellular toxicity than free Ce6.	[111]
Curcumin-loaded Poly (D, l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated to the anti-EGFRvIII monoclonal antibody	EGFR receptor	DKMG/EGFRvIII cells (EGFRvIII overexpressed human glioblastoma cell line) (in vitro)	Antibody conjugated PLGA NPs were incubated with cells for 1 h and irradiated with 460 nm blue LED light at a dose of 60 J/cm2. Cellular uptake percentage was significantly higher in EGFRvIII overexpress cells than DK-MGlow cells (low expressed EGFRvIII human glioblastoma cell line).	[112]
Transferrin and aptamer conjugated [Ru(bpy)2(tip)]2+ (RBT)-loaded mesoporous ruthenium nanoparticles	Transferrin (TfR) and nucleolin expressing gliomas	U87 cells glioma cells, 293T cells and brain capillary endothelial (HBMEC) cells (in vitro), and BALB/c nude mice (in vivo)	Aptamer AS1411 and transferrin have a high binding affinity with nucleolin and transferrin receptors, respectively. Antitumor drug, RBT, has a high-efficiency PS when irradiated with 808 nm. The study suggested that the dual functionalized RBT-loaded MRN overcomes the blood-brain barrier (c), and actively targets gliomas.	[113]
Antibodies conjugated, rose bengal (RB) PS-loaded upconversion nanoparticles with a silica layer	Epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAM), also known as CD326	Human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells (in vitro)	980 nm irradiation was used to activate RB molecules. Fluorescence imaging study revealed that the synthesized antibody conjugated nanomaterials had a high affinity, with EpCAM overexpressed in HT-29 cells, and negligible in EpCAM negative murine microglia cells (BV2 cell line).	[114]