Posted by Porphyrins are powerful photosensitive molecules with useful photophysical and redox properties, making them attractive for therapeutic use. However, they often suffer from poor water solubility and aggregation, which can reduce performance. The review from researchers in Brazil highlights how cyclodextrin complexation helps overcome these limitations by improving solubility, stabilizing the molecules, reducing aggregation, and enabling more selective or stimuli-responsive delivery. The authors discuss how cyclodextrin–porphyrin systems can enhance singlet oxygen generation, improve biological targeting, and support multifunctional therapeutic platforms that combine imaging, therapy, and controlled activation. It also highlights remaining challenges such as pharmacokinetics, biocompatibility, scalable synthesis, and translation toward clinical use.
Jaqueline F. de Souza, Siara Silvestri, Paulo R. de Souza, André R. Fajardo, Bernardo A. Iglesias (2026) Combined cyclodextrins and porphyrinoid derivatives in drug delivery systems: Developments and perspectives. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 690, 126544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126544.