Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising and emerging method for the treatment of cancer, usually Type II PDT is used in the clinic, which is mainly consists of three key...

The misuse of many types of broad-spectrum antibiotics leads to increased antimicrobial resistance. As a result, the development of a novel antibacterial agent is essential. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is becoming more popular due to its advantages in eliminating drug-resistant strains and providing broad-spectrum antibacterial resistance. Carbon dots (CDs), zero-dimensional nanomaterials with diameters smaller than 10 nm, offer a green and cost-effective alternative to PACT photosensitizers. This article reviewed the synthesis methods of antibacterial CDs as well as the recent progress of CDs and their nanocomposites in photodynamic sterilization, focusing on maximizing the bactericidal impact of CDs photosensitizers. This review establishes the base for future CDs development in the PACT field.

The sustained rapid growth of tumor cells depends directly on the activity of mitochondria, which are important targets for many cancer drugs. Here, we report on a self-targeting method for mitochondria, a high atom efficiency nanoplatform, Mn/HA-CDs, made from hyaluronic acid-derived carbon dots (HA-CDs) and Mn2+ in a coordination structure of Mn-N5. We found that the Mn/HA-CDs with atomically dispersed Mn (0.73%) can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) with a high atom economy. Particularly, its singlet oxygen (1O2) quantum yield (0.40) is 3 times higher than that of the previous HA-CDs (0.13). Active absorption of Mn/HA-CDs by mitochondria inhibits mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme function, intensifies ROS damage to the mitochondria, and eventually promotes the photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect on tumor cells. Our findings suggest that targeting mitochondria with single-atom metal-anchored CDs for a better PDT effect is a viable method of treating tumors.

Since the rapid development of nanomedicine in oncotherapy, multiple nanomaterials are adopted to regulate the immune system in cancer individuals. Tumor immunotherapy enhances the immune function of patients to achieve the purpose of killing tumor cells by utilizing the organism immune mechanism. As emerging inorganic carbon nanoparticles, carbon dots (CDs) have been found as photosensitizers, vaccines, immunoadjuvants, and so on for cancer treatment due to their unique structure and property, such as effective platforms for drug delivery, immunomodulation, and phototherapy. In this review, we mainly discuss the recent application of CDs in tumor immunotherapy and the prospects of CDs in the field of immune medicine. By assessing the achievements and challenges of CDs in tumor immunotherapy, our review would provide mechanistic insights into the evolution of future nanomedicine.

Since the rapid development of nanomedicine in oncotherapy, multiple nanomaterials are adopted to regulate the immune system in cancer individuals. Tumor immunotherapy enhances the immune function of patients to achieve the purpose of killing tumor cells by utilizing the organism immune mechanism. As emerging inorganic carbon nanoparticles, carbon dots (CDs) have been found as photosensitizers, vaccines, immunoadjuvants, and so on for cancer treatment due to their unique structure and property, such as effective platforms for drug delivery, immunomodulation, and phototherapy. In this review, we mainly discuss the recent application of CDs in tumor immunotherapy and the prospects of CDs in the field of immune medicine. By assessing the achievements and challenges of CDs in tumor immunotherapy, our review would provide mechanistic insights into the evolution of future nanomedicine.