Role of nanocarriers in photodynamic therapy

•A review on different type of photosensitizer used for photodynamic therapy for the treatment of various diseases.•Metallic nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles and nanolipid carriers for enhancing the efficacy of photodynamic therapy.•Potential of nanocarriers in photodynamic therapy for improving the treatment of cancer. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an important tool for the treatment of various cutaneous malignant and non-malignant diseases. This therapy involves the application of a photosensitizer to the affected area which is followed by illumination with the light of a particular wavelength resulting in the death of cancerous cells. This review encompasses a brief description of the mechanism of photodynamic therapy and different photosensitizers used clinically. However, the major obstacle with a majority of photosensitizers is its limited bioavailability and long-term photosensitivity which limits its use. To overcome these limitations different nanocarriers systems has been developed and studied for their efficacy in PDT, which forms the focal point of the review.