In Vivo Efficacy of Zinc Phthalocyanine Nanocarriers <scp>IN</scp> Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer

ABSTRACT The limitations of conventional cancer treatment can be countered by alternative therapies, such as photodynamic therapy. This technique uses photosensitizing agents (PSs), including zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc). Nanotechnology has emerged as a strategy to optimize the physicochemical properties of these PSs, promoting controlled release, increased solubility, specificity, and therapeutic action. Thus, this review aims to present the results of in vivo trials conducted over the past decade on nanosystems that use this photosensitizer in cancer treatment. The searches were conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, and CAPES Journals, using the descriptors “Zinc phthalocyanine”, “Photodynamic therapy”, and “Cancer”, resulting in 10 138 articles. After applying the inclusion and exclusion factors, 40 articles were included. The results revealed that, among the types of cancer addressed in the selected articles, breast cancer was the most frequent in 34% of the studies, followed by others (32%), cervical (14%), colon and cervical, both with 10%. Regarding the nanosystems, polymeric and inorganic nanoparticles were the most used for incorporating ZnPc, each representing 15% of the studies, followed by micelles (10%) and liposomes (10%). The results highlighted the therapeutic potential of these nanosystems, reinforcing their relevance as an innovative, more effective, and safer strategy for cancer treatment.