Compact Plasmonic Blackbody for Cancer Theranosis in the Near-Infrared II Window

Light-responsive nanoparticles help blast away deep tissue tumours

31 July 2018

A new type of gold-bearing, light-responsive nanoparticle could offer a safe and effective way to destroy tumours deep in the body.

A team from Nanyang Technological University synthesized compact, gold nanostructures coated in a glue-like material that absorbs nearly all light from wavelengths across the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared spectra.

The researchers injected the nanoparticles directly into the breast tumours of cancer-bearing mice before covering the tumour area with chicken breast tissue to mimic a deep cellular environment. They then blasted the buried tumours with near-infrared lasers. The light converted to heat with more than 80 per cent efficiency — and the cancer cells burned away.

The findings, reported in ACS Nano, highlight the potential of this nanomedicine for targeting hard-to-reach tumours.

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References

1. ACS Nano 12, 2643–2651 (2018). doi: 10.1021/acsnano.7b08725