Nanoparticle-Mediated Phototherapy in Bone Cancer Treatment

Bone malignancies, whether primary sarcomas or secondary metastases, present formidable therapeutic challenges due to their deep-seated location, resistance to conventional modalities and the need to preserve skeletal integrity. Nanoparticle-mediated phototherapy harnesses light-responsive agents (photosensitisers or photothermal converters) encapsulated within or bound to nanoscale carriers to achieve highly selective tumour ablation. Upon irradiation—typically in the near-infrared spectrum—these nanoplatforms generate reactive oxygen species or heat to induce cancer cell death while sparing adjacent healthy tissues. Surface functionalisation enables active homing to bone or tumour microenvironments, and co-delivery of chemotherapeutic agents or immune modulators can further enhance efficacy. This approach offers a minimally invasive alternative or adjuvant to surgery, radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy, with the potential not only to eradicate tumour deposits but also to stimulate local antitumour immunity and support bone regeneration.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the promise of cell-based nanovectors for combined chemo-photodynamic and immunotherapy of bone-involved cancers. In engineered macrophages loaded with an oxaliplatin prodrug and a photosensitiser, the intrinsic tumour-homing ability was exploited to deliver payloads selectively to primary and bone metastatic sites. Near-infrared activation triggered synchronous release of chemotherapeutic and photodynamic agents, eliciting tumour cell apoptosis, immunogenic cell death and reprogramming of the tumour microenvironment towards an antitumour phenotype. When combined with immune-checkpoint blockade, this platform achieved eradication of both primary lesions and bone metastases in preclinical models, with minimal off-target toxicity and prolonged survival.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Phototherapy in Bone Cancer Treatment publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle-mediated phototherapy in bone cancer treatment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanoparticle: A carrier of 1–100 nm diameter used to encapsulate or display therapeutic and diagnostic agents.

Photosensitiser: A molecule activated by light to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species for photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT): A treatment that employs light-activated photosensitisers to generate reactive oxygen species and induce cell death.

Photothermal therapy (PTT): A modality in which photothermal agents convert absorbed light into heat to ablate tumour tissue.

Near-infrared (NIR): Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range (~700–1700 nm) that penetrates biological tissues to activate phototherapeutic agents.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT): A technique using ultrasound to activate sonosensitisers, producing reactive oxygen species for tumour destruction.

References

1. Bacterial outer membrane vesicle-cancer cell hybrid membrane-coated nanoparticles for sonodynamic therapy in the treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2024).
2. Engineered macrophages as near-infrared light activated drug vectors for chemo-photodynamic therapy of primary and bone metastatic breast cancer. Nature Communications (2021).
3. Application of advanced biomaterials in photothermal therapy for malignant bone tumors. Biomaterials Research (2023).
4. Peptide-based semiconducting polymer nanoparticles for osteosarcoma-targeted NIR-II fluorescence/NIR-I photoacoustic dual-model imaging and photothermal/photodynamic therapies. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2022).