BODIPY based nanomedicine for cancer imaging and phototherapy

Optical materials with imaging and phototherapy functionalities have offered promising perspectives for precise tumor treatment. Among these materials, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) photosensitizers have presented potential for cancer theranostics because of their long wavelength absorption/fluorescence, tunable reactive oxygen species quantum yield, excellent photostability, and good biocompatibility. The development of nanotechnology in combination with BODIPY provided researchers with nanomedicines passively targeting solid tumors via enhanced penetration and retention effect, which greatly improved the efficacy of cancer photo-theranostics. In this review, we summarize our contributions for the development of BODIPY nanomedicine for cancer imaging and phototherapy. We firstly introduce our comprehensive routes for BODIPY synthesis and the preparation strategies of BODIPY nanomedicine. Thereafter, we give an in-depth discussion on the photo physicochemical properties of BODIPY nanomedicines, focusing on their applications in fluorescence/photothermal/photoacoustic imaging, photodynamic therapy, phototherapy, and combined phototherapy/vascular disruption therapy. Lastly, we look at the perspectives and challenges for the development of next-generation BODIPY nanomedicines. This review summarized recent progress of BODIPY nanomedicines in our lab for cancer phototheranostics. We summarized our comprehensive approaches for synthesis of BODIPY molecules and preparations of BODIPY nanomedicines. We highlighted their applications in fluorescence/photothermal/photoacoustic imaging, PDT, PTT, and combined therapy. We also pointed out the perspectives and challenges for the development of BODIPY nanomedicines. • The synthesis of BODIPY molecules and preparation methods of BODIPY nanomedicines are summarized. • Biomedical applications of BODIPY for cancer imaging, and phototherapy are discussed in depth. • Advantages and current limitations of BODIPY based nanomedicines are pointed out towards clinical translations.