Nanoparticle-Mediated Photothermal Therapy Limitation in Clinical Applications Regarding Pain Management

Abstract

The development of new effective cancer treatment methods has attracted much attention, mainly due to the limited efficacy and considerable side effects of currently used cancer treatment methods such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Photothermal therapy based on the use of plasmonically resonant metallic nanoparticles has emerged as a promising technique to eradicate cancer cells selectively. In this method, plasmonic nanoparticles are first preferentially uptaken by a tumor and then selectively heated by exposure to laser radiation with a specific plasmonic resonant wavelength, to destroy the tumor whilst minimizing damage to adjacent normal tissue. However, several parameters can limit the effectiveness of photothermal therapy, resulting in insufficient heating and potentially leading to cancer recurrence. One of these parameters is the patient’s pain sensation during the treatment, if this is performed without use of anesthetic. Pain can restrict the level of applicable laser radiation, cause an interruption to the treatment course and, as such, affect its efficacy, as well as leading to a negative patient experience and consequential general population hesitancy to this type of therapy. Since having a comfortable and painless procedure is one of the important treatment goals in the clinic, along with its high effectiveness, and due to the relatively low number of studies devoted to this specific topic, we have compiled this review. Moreover, non-invasive and painless methods for temperature measurement during photothermal therapy (PTT), such as Raman spectroscopy and nanothermometry, will be discussed in the following. Here, we firstly outline the physical phenomena underlying the photothermal therapy, and then discuss studies devoted to photothermal cancer treatment concerning pain management and pathways for improved efficiency of photothermal therapy whilst minimizing pain experienced by the patient.

Dual Glutathione Depletion Enhanced Enzyme Catalytic Activity for Hyperthermia Assisted Tumor Therapy on Semi-Metallic VSe2/Mn-CS

“…The PCE of VSe 2 /Mn-CS NSs was measured to be 34.61%, which is higher than those of the reported VS 2 nanodots (31.5%), Ti 3 C 2 NSs (30.6%), and Au nanorods (21%) (Figure f). It is reported that the PCE of some materials including Au nanostars, Ag@Ag 2 S, Ti 2 C nanoflakes, and MoSe 2 NSs might exceed 50%, while the higher temperature might lead to irreversible damage to the normal cells around the cancer cells. − Especially, the overexpression of heat shock proteins triggered by hyperthermia might cause self-repair of damaged cells, leading to the tumor thermal endurance against heat stress. , On the other hand, if the PCE was too low, an ideal therapeutic effect would not be achieved. Therefore, VSe 2 /Mn-CS with an appropriate PCE makes it a potential PTA for mild PTT.…”

“…The 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) colorimetric method was used to detect the yield of •OH. H 2 O 2 with different concentrations (10,20,60,120, and 250 mM) was added into the mixture solution of TMB (6 mg mL −1 ) and 500 μg mL −1 of VSe 2 /Mn-CS. The absorbance at 652 nm were recorded by the UV− vis spectroscopy instrument.…”

State-of-the-art therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer stem cells in prostate cancer

“…In recent years, photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy has become a promising treatment in the management of various types of cancer with minimal invasiveness. In this approach, light energy is converted into heat energy by exploiting photothermal agents with a high-power near-infrared (NIR) laser to place cancer cells in remission (hyperthermia) ( 171 ). Cancer cells are more sensitive than normal cells to heat stress owing to the different pattern expressions of heat shock proteins that are involved in the cellular defense mechanism.…”

Photoacousto-photothermal effect and temperature monitoring of tissues subjected to graphene oxide

“…At present, clinical methods for tumor treatment mainly include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, but these treatment methods have many shortcomings such as damage to normal tissues and organs, limited tumor treatment effects, and increased chances of tumor recurrence and metastasis, which seriously affect the diagnosis and treatment effects of tumors [4] [5] . Photothermal therapy (PTT), as a highly effective tumor treatment, has received wide attention in recent years due to its advantages of small invasiveness and high spatio-temporal selectivity [6][7] . Compared with traditional treatment modalities, PTT is simple, minimally invasive, safe, and has a short treatment time, and it converts the light energy of the irradiated laser into heat energy in the form of non-thermal radiation through a photothermal agent, thus achieving effective killing of tumor cells [8] .…”