Photothermal Therapy Applications Using Gold Nanostructures

Photothermal therapy (PTT) employing gold nanostructures harnesses the unique optical properties of metallic nanoparticles to convert light into heat and selectively ablate pathological tissue. Gold nanorods, nanoshells and nanocages exhibit tunable localised surface plasmon resonance in the near-infrared (NIR) window, enabling deep‐tissue penetration and efficient photothermal conversion. Upon NIR illumination, these nanostructures generate rapid temperature rises in the targeted region, inducing apoptosis, necrosis or immunogenic cell death of malignant cells while sparing adjacent healthy tissue. Surface functionalisation with polymers, peptides or antibodies enhances biocompatibility, prolongs circulation half-life and confers tumour-specific targeting. Integration with imaging modalities such as computed tomography, fluorescence or photoacoustics permits real-time monitoring of nanoparticle distribution and treatment efficacy. Moreover, combination strategies that fuse PTT with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy or immunotherapy further augment antitumour responses and mitigate recurrence. Despite promising preclinical results, challenges such as nanoparticle biodistribution, heat dissipation control and long-term biosafety must be addressed to facilitate clinical translation. The global significance of this approach lies in its potential to deliver minimally invasive, highly localised therapies across a range of oncological and antimicrobial applications.

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Photothermal Therapy Applications Using Gold Nanostructures publication trend

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Technical terms

Localised surface plasmon resonance: Coherent oscillation of conduction electrons in metallic nanoparticles induced by specific light wavelengths, resulting in enhanced optical absorption and scattering.

Photothermal conversion efficiency: The capability of a nanostructure to absorb incident light and convert it into thermal energy.

Near-infrared (NIR): The region of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 700–1,000 nm) with optimal tissue penetration for therapeutic applications.

Hyperthermia: Therapeutic heating of tissue to temperatures (typically 42–45 °C) sufficient to impair tumour cell viability.

Immunogenic cell death: A form of cell demise that releases tumour antigens and danger signals, thereby activating adaptive immune responses.

References

1. Gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods in the landscape of cancer therapy. Molecular Cancer (2023).
2. Pulsed Photothermal Therapy of Solid Tumors as a Precondition for Immunotherapy. Small (2024).
3. Dual-Targeted Gold Nanoprism for Recognition of Early Apoptosis, Dual-Model Imaging and Precise Cancer Photothermal Therapy. Theranostics (2019).
4. Smart nanoplatform for sequential drug release and enhanced chemo-thermal effect of dual drug loaded gold nanorod vesicles for cancer therapy. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2019).