Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a metal oxide well known for its photocatalytic property and is widely used in cosmetics. Lately, it has gained more importance in its biomedical applications, especially in cancer therapy. Scientific works have elucidated the efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) against different cancer cell lines. There are safety concerns related to the usage of ZnO NPs as the zinc ion concentration may lead to changes in the human body. This review covers the significant pharmaceutical and biological aspects of ZnO NPs. Besides, this review updates ZnO NPs revolutionary use in photodynamic therapy (PDT), where it can work wonders and pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches against cancer.
Keywords: Zinc oxide, nanoparticles, cytotoxicity, photodynamic therapy, surface modification, cancer cell lines.
Graphical Abstract