Nanoparticle-Mediated Thermal Therapy in Cancer Treatment

Nanoparticle‐mediated thermal therapy harnesses the unique optical, magnetic and chemical characteristics of nanoscale constructs to generate controlled hyperthermia within tumour tissues. Such strategies include photothermal therapy, where plasmonic nanoparticles absorb near‐infrared light to induce localised heating, and magnetic hyperthermia, in which superparamagnetic particles convert alternating magnetic fields into heat. By functionalising nanoparticles with targeting ligands or chemotherapeutic payloads, researchers achieve enhanced tumour accumulation, reduced off‐target toxicity and synergistic multimodal interventions. Advances in core–shell architectures, surface engineering and real-time imaging guidance have transformed thermal therapy into a versatile platform for precise cancer ablation and immunomodulation. Preclinical studies demonstrate effective eradication of solid tumours, improved pharmacokinetics and monitoring of treatment response, underlining the global significance of nanoparticle-assisted hyperthermic approaches.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored multifunctional core–shell nanostars composed of an iron oxide core and a gold shell. These constructs combine magnetic resonance and computed tomography contrast with strong near-infrared absorption for photothermal therapy. Surface conjugation of folic acid enables active targeting of tumour cells overexpressing folate receptors, while the star-shaped gold shell ensures high photothermal conversion efficiency. In vivo models show simultaneous multi-mode imaging and effective tumour ablation under near-infrared irradiation, offering a robust theranostic nanoplatform that unites precise diagnosis, targeted delivery and thermal destruction in a single system.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Thermal Therapy in Cancer Treatment publication trend

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

Technical terms

Photothermal therapy: Conversion of light energy into localised heat by nanoparticles to induce tumour cell death.

Magnetic hyperthermia: Generation of heat from magnetic nanoparticles exposed to an alternating magnetic field for tumour ablation.

Core–shell nanoparticle: A nanostructure with a core and an encapsulating shell that combine distinct functionalities, such as imaging and therapy.

Fenton reaction: A chemical process in which iron ions react with hydrogen peroxide to produce hydroxyl radicals for chemodynamic therapy.

References

1. Multifunctional Fe3O4 @ Au core/shell nanostars: a unique platform for multimode imaging and photothermal therapy of tumors. Scientific Reports (2016).
2. NIR-Responsive Methotrexate-Modified Iron Selenide Nanorods for Synergistic Magnetic Hyperthermic, Photothermal, and Chemodynamic Therapy. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024).
3. Prospect of Gold Nanoparticles in Pancreatic Cancer. Pharmaceutics (2024).