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Introduction: The American Cancer Society predicted that approximately 96,480 people will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer this year, and 7,230 of them will die [1]. Minimally-invasive alternatives for melanoma treatment are a clinical need, and a continued unmet need exists for combinatorial therapies with limited toxicity and/or resistance profiles. Photothermal therapy (PTT) can be used as a non-invasive treatment by delivering targeted nanoparticles and a laser source (typically in the near-infrared range) to the tumor site. We propose to use a biodegradable nanoparticle platform based in polymers to reduce the toxic risks. Our goal is to evaluate the cellular lethality of nanoparticles on melanoma cells as a response to dosimetry using an in vitro model.
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Advancing precision photothermal therapy by integrating armored gold nanostars with real-time photoacoustic thermometry and imaging
Nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising strategy for cancer treatment; however, nanoparticle instability and lack of precise imaging tools for real-time temperature monitoring during therapy and nanoparticle tracking have hindered investigations in animal models. To address these critical issues, we present a theranostic platform that seamlessly integrates armored core–gold nanostar (AC-GNS)–mediated PTT with full-view photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT), enabling nanoparticle tracking and real-time imaging-guided PTT in deep tissues. The AC-GNS platform delivered exceptional photostability and thermal resilience beyond those of conventional nanoparticles while serving as a high-performance contrast agent for PACT and a photothermal transducer for PTT. Integrating AC-GNS–mediated PTT with noninvasive PACT enabled whole-body nanoparticle tracking, PTT treatment monitoring via thermal imaging, and thermal dose determination, culminating in a 100% survival rate in a murine bladder cancer model without long-term treatment-related toxicity. This theranostic platform lays the foundation for broader research applications and provides opportunities for advancing solid tumor treatment and response assessment research.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2144788
- PAR ID:
- 10668618
- Publisher / Repository:
- science
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Science Advances
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 33
- ISSN:
- 2375-2548
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx6350
