Gel Microspheres as Multifunctional Carriers for Photodynamic Therapy: Advancing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

Conventional hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatments suffer from insufficient efficacy and severe toxic side effects. This review addresses these issues by focusing on gel microsphere-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a novel strategy. It outlines the core properties, classifications, and stimulus-responsive mechanisms of gel microspheres, as well as their structure-function compatibility with photosensitizers. The work highlights how gel microspheres enable targeted delivery, tumor microenvironment-responsive release, and synergistic effects with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy to enhance therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target damage. Additionally, it discusses current challenges including material parameter controllability and clinical translation hurdles, providing insights for the development of precise and personalized HCC treatments.