• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

Despite recent progresses in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, there are still many unsolved limitations. Most of all, a major obstacle in current nanoparticle-based drug carrier is the lack of sufficient drug delivery into target cells due to various biological barriers, such as: extracellular matrix, endolysosomal barrier, and drug-resistance associated proteins. To circumvent these limitations, several research groups have utilized photochemical internalization (PCI), an extension of photodynamic therapy (PDT), in design of innovative and efficient nano-carriers drug delivery. This review presents an overview of a recent research on utilization of PCI in various fields including: anti-cancer therapy, protein delivery, and tissue engineering.