Figure 10
AuNDs-assisted PPTT.
Schematic of the concept and mechanism of AuNDs-assisted PPTT for a tumor. A detailed description is presented in the last paragraph of the Results. Briefly, in the first step, after AuNDs are loaded into the tumor, the EPR effect of the AuNDs in the tumor is increased due to their smallness. In the second step, optically triggered optical droplet vaporization causes expansion of AuNDs and also instability of their HSA shell. In the third step, acoustic cavitation is induced and causes the violent collapse of the vaporized AuNDs and the subsequent more-permeable defects allow more AuNDs to be delivered to the tumor tissue. In the fourth step, the enhanced EPR effect of AuNDs promotes more AuNRs to be expelled from AuNDs and subsequently delivered to the tumor, thereby improving the thermal ablation efficiency of PPTT.
