ABSTRACT
Porphyrins can comprise a variety of organic reactive groups by simply changing the initial reactants and can be functionalized with hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties. A variety of porphyrin nanoscale materials have been synthesized as agents for theranostic applications. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are attractive for biomedical and biological applications due to their uniform porosity, ease of functionalization, and biocompatibility. The combination of porphyrin photosensitization and mesoporous silica delivery features can make porphyrin–silica nanoparticles dual-functional drug carriers for specific tissue targeting. Liposomes, dendrimers and mesoporous silicon nanoparticles have been used to deliver porphyrins into target areas as traditional nanoscale carriers. The specific interaction between mannosylated porphyrins in liposomes and biomimetic membranes with mannose receptor shows the possibility for targeted delivery. The serum-induced release speed of porphyrin-phospholipid liposome can be controlled by altering the concentrations of compositions during the process. Liposomes have been widely used as carriers for porphyrin delivery.
