Recent progress in tumor photodynamic immunotherapy

Photodynamic immunotherapy is a promising research field which combines photodynamic therapy (PDT) with immunotherapy to achieve tumor ablation due to the generation of ROS and immune response. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of PDT, immunotherapy, and the combined application of them, which are expected to provide inspiration on the future prospect of photodynamic immunotherapy for profound therapeutic implications [Display omitted] Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising alternative approach for effective cancer treatment, which can directly destroy local tumor cells due to the generation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tumor cells. Intriguingly, PDT-mediated cell death is also associated with anti-tumor immune response. However, immunosuppression of tumor microenvironment is able to limit the immune response induced by PDT, it is therefore necessary to combine with immunocheckpoint inhibitor and immunoadjuvant for synergistic treatment of tumors. Herein, the recent advances of PDT, immunotherapy, and photodynamic immunotherapy are reviewed