Photothermal Nanomedicine for Cancer Treatment

Photothermal nanomedicine harnesses the ability of nanoscale materials to absorb light—most often in the near-infrared region—and convert it into heat for the selective ablation of tumour tissues. By combining efficient photothermal conversion with targeted delivery, these nanoplatforms achieve localised hyperthermia that can directly destroy cancer cells or sensitize them to complementary therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Common materials include metallic nanostructures (for example gold or iron oxide), organic polymers (for example polydopamine or conjugated polymers), carbon-based particles and metal-organic frameworks. Surface functionalisation with tumour-homing ligands, responsive coatings and stealth polymers enables prolonged circulation, precise accumulation and on-demand release of therapeutic cargos. Integration with imaging modalities—such as photoacoustic or magnetic resonance imaging—provides real-time guidance and treatment monitoring. Together, these advances offer a minimally invasive, spatiotemporally precise approach to cancer treatment, with the potential to improve antitumour efficacy while minimising systemic toxicity. Ongoing challenges include optimisation of deep-tissue light penetration, long-term biocompatibility, scalable manufacturing and regulatory translation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Researchers have developed hyaluronan-coated iron oxide–polypyrrole nanorods that combine strong near-infrared absorption with tumour-targeting ligands. These rod-shaped nanoparticles serve as dual-function agents for high-contrast photoacoustic imaging and efficient photothermal therapy, leading to complete tumour eradication in preclinical models without observable side effects. Another study introduced chitosan-polypyrrole nanocomposites that exhibit excellent biocompatibility, conductivity and NIR absorbance. When utilised as photoacoustic imaging probes, these spherical nanocomposites precisely delineate tumour margins and enable guided photothermal ablation of cancerous tissue in vivo, demonstrating rapid recovery and limited off-target damage.

Photothermal Nanomedicine for Cancer Treatment publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photothermal nanomedicine for cancer treatment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photothermal therapy (PTT): Treatment that converts light, typically near-infrared, into heat via photosensitive agents to ablate tumour tissue.

Near-infrared (NIR): Wavelength range (~700–1000 nm) used for deep tissue penetration with minimal absorption by water and haemoglobin.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI): Technique that detects ultrasound signals generated by pulsed light absorption for high-resolution imaging of tissues.

Photothermal conversion efficiency: Measure of a material’s ability to convert absorbed light into heat.

Nanoplatform: Engineered nanoscale structure designed for multimodal functions such as therapy, targeting and imaging.

Hyperthermia: Localised heating of biological tissues to enhance therapeutic effects or trigger drug release.

Polydopamine (PDA): Mussel-inspired polymer used as a biocompatible coating to enhance photothermal properties and drug loading.

References

1. Selective enhanced cytotoxicity of amino acid deprivation for cancer therapy using thermozyme functionalized nanocatalyst. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2024).
2. Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy with Tumor-Targeting HA-FeOOH@PPy Nanorods. Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Multifunctional biocompatible chitosan-polypyrrole nanocomposites as novel agents for photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal ablation of cancer. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. NDs@PDA@ICG Conjugates for Photothermal Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Biomimetics (2019).