Folic acid and its derivatives for targeted photodynamic therapy of cancer.

The fundamentals of folic acid and folate receptors functioning in the body, changes in the expression level of folate receptors in carcinogenesis, as well as use of folic acid and its derivatives for targeted delivery of photosensitizers to tumors have been reviewed. The ways of increasing the efficacy of photodynamic therapy by creating multifunctional nanoplatforms that ensure both passive targeting and receptor-mediated internalization of photosensitizers in tumor cells have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]