Noble Metal Nanomaterials for NIR‐Triggered Photothermal Therapy in Cancer

Abstract

It is of great significance to develop anticancer therapeutic agents or technologies with high degree of specificity and patient compliance, while low toxicity. The emerging photothermal therapy (PTT) has become a new and powerful therapeutic technology due to its noninvasiveness, high specificity, low side effects to normal tissues and strong anticancer efficacy. Noble metal nanomaterials possess strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect and synthetic tunability, which make them facile and effective PTT agents with superior optical and photothermal characteristics, such as high absorption cross‐section, incomparable optical‐thermal conversion efficiency in the near infrared (NIR) region, as well as the potential of bioimaging. By incorporating with various functional reagents such as antibodies, peptides, biocompatible polymers, chemo‐drug and immune factors, noble metal nanomaterials have presented strong potential in multifunctional cancer therapy. Herein, the recent development regarding the application of noble metal nanomaterials for NIR‐triggered PTT in cancer treatment is summarized. A variety of studies with good therapeutic effects against cancer from impressive photothermal efficacy of noble metal nanomaterials are concluded. Intelligent nanoplatforms through ingenious fabrication showing potential of multifunctional PTT, combined with chemo‐therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), as well as simultaneous imaging modality are also demonstrated.

PFP@PLGA/Cu12Sb4S13-mediated PTT ablates hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the RAS/MAPK/MT-CO1 signaling pathway

“…PTA can eradicate tumors by rapidly converting NIR light energy into heat, and therefore, these agents have attracted remarkable interest [34]. In recent decades, most of the effort directed to PTA has focused on metal nanomaterials because of their highly effective optical absorption and photothermal conversation.…”

Recent Trends in Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Colorimetric Chemical Sensing and Micro-Electronic Packaging Applications

“…Additionally, some skin allergies have also been noted with the use of colloidal noble metal nanoparticles [119]. In addition, Zhu et al [120] have found that noble metals have been applied as a multifunctional cancer therapy because of their remarkable surface plasmon responses. Furthermore, a number of hazardous pollutants are also being generated as byproducts due to the rapid development of chemical industries.…”

Engineered Nanostructured Photocatalysts for Cancer Therapy

“…In addition, light-induced therapies have been also taken advantage of noble metal nanoparticles to selectively enhance therapy performance. In the last few years, noble metal-based nanoparticles have risen as one of the most promising alternatives to selectively promote light-triggered therapies such as photothermal therapy (PTT) [41,42] or PDT [43]. Moreover, some photocatalysts may also transform intracellular GSH into GSSG via h + consumption.…”