Photothermal Therapy

Nanoscale materials present us with astonishing chemical and physical properties that help materialize applications such as single molecular sensing and minimally invasive photothermal therapy—which were once just theories—into reality.

Together with colleagues, a group of scientists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University synthesized nanostructures of gold and iron oxides that have improved magnetic and optical properties because of their unique star shape. The particles obtained are safe for healthy human cells and can be used in tumor therapy. The results of the study are published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Liquid metals (LM) such as pure gallium (Ga) and Ga-based alloys are a new class of materials with unique physicochemical properties. One of the most prominent applications of LMs is photothermal therapy against cancer, in which functional LM nanoparticles convert light energy to heat energy, thus killing cancerous cells. LM-based phototherapy is superior to traditional cancer therapy owing to its high specificity,…

Nanoparticles loaded with dye that release heat upon near-infrared irradiation could provide the key to more targeted treatment for blood clots, according to new research by the Baker Institute and Swinburne University.

MIT researchers designed tiny particles that can be implanted at a cancer tumor site, where they deliver two types of therapy: heat and chemotherapy.

The Beach Boys' iconic hit single "Good Vibrations" takes on a whole new layer of meaning thanks to a recent discovery by Rice University scientists and collaborators, who have uncovered a way to destroy cancer cells by using the ability of some molecules to vibrate strongly when stimulated by light.

The use of antibiotics helps fight bacterial infection, but the abuse of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence and widespread prevalence of "super bacteria," making the treatment of infectious diseases a worldwide problem again.

Cancer immunotherapy is a treatment modality against tumor growth and metastasis via stimulating host immune responses. Phototherapy, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), is a less invasive treatment compared to chemotherapy. To be specific, PDT and PTT-induced immunogenic cell death can release tumor-associated antigens and damage-associated molecular patterns, stimulating an immune…

A research team led by Professor Kelvin Yeung Wai-kwok from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has invented a non-invasive and non-antibiotics technology to effectively reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in bony tissue.

The overuse of antibiotics over extended periods of time has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent years. This poses a significant threat to public health, with more than 1.2 million deaths caused due to MDR bacteria. Moreover, progress in the research and development of new antibiotics has slowed down; most of the "new" antibiotics are modifications of prior existing drugs, with only…