Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies in Cancer Nanotechnology

Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) harness the interplay of light and functional nanomaterials to achieve selective cancer cell eradication. In PTT, near-infrared or visible light is absorbed by nanoscale agents and converted into localized heat, inducing tumour cell apoptosis or necrosis with minimal damage to adjacent healthy tissue. In PDT, photosensitiser-loaded nanoparticles generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon photoactivation, triggering oxidative stress and cell death. The convergence of these modalities with nanotechnology has delivered highly stable platforms that improve biodistribution, enhance tumour accumulation via passive and active targeting, and integrate diagnostic imaging for real-time monitoring. Advances include the engineering of dye-loaded nanoemulsions, core–shell constructs and lipid vesicles that protect sensitive agents from premature degradation, extend circulation time and offer multimodal contrast for fluorescence, photoacoustic and upconversion luminescence. Combination strategies exploit synergistic photothermal and photodynamic effects or pair light-triggered heating with controlled drug release, enabling on-demand, spatially precise therapy. As nanotheranostic systems progress towards clinical translation, they promise to revolutionise personalised oncology by uniting therapy and imaging in a single, biocompatible platform with global applicability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One recent study introduced a liposomal construct incorporating J-aggregated near-infrared dyes, achieving highly tunable photoacoustic contrast and accurate estimation of tumour oxygen saturation. By stabilising dye aggregates within biocompatible liposomes, researchers attained enhanced signal quantification, prolonged circulation and improved guidance for subsequent photothermal ablation. Another work developed a core–shell nanosystem comprising upconversion nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica loaded with a near-infrared photosensitiser. This platform combined green and red upconversion luminescence for optical imaging with efficient photothermal conversion and photoacoustic signal generation, enabling deep-tissue vessel mapping and effective tumour hyperthermia under single-wavelength excitation.

Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies in Cancer Nanotechnology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photothermal and photodynamic therapies in cancer nanotechnology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photothermal therapy (PTT): A treatment modality using photoabsorbing agents to convert light into heat and selectively destroy cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT): Cell-killing by light-activated photosensitisers that generate reactive oxygen species.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules that induce oxidative damage in biological tissues.

J-aggregate: An ordered assembly of dye molecules exhibiting a red-shifted, narrow absorbance band and enhanced photostability.

Nanotheranostic platform: A nanoscale system that integrates diagnostic imaging functions with therapeutic modalities.

References

1. Clinically translatable quantitative molecular photoacoustic imaging with liposome-encapsulated ICG J-aggregates. Nature Communications (2021).
2. Stable ICG-loaded upconversion nanoparticles: silica core/shell theranostic nanoplatform for dual-modal upconversion and photoacoustic imaging together with photothermal therapy. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Nanostructure‐Driven Indocyanine Green Dimerization Generates Ultra‐Stable Phototheranostics Nanoparticles. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2023).
4. Loading of Indocyanine Green within Polydopamine-Coated Laponite Nanodisks for Targeted Cancer Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy. Nanomaterials (2018).
5. Indocyanine Green-Conjugated Magnetic Prussian Blue Nanoparticles for Synchronous Photothermal/Photodynamic Tumor Therapy. Nano-Micro Letters (2018).