Nanomaterials for photothermal cancer therapy

Cancer has emerged as a pressing global public health issue, and improving the effectiveness of cancer treatment remains one of the foremost challenges of modern medicine. The primary clinical methods of treating cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, inevitably result in some adverse effects on the body. However, the advent of photothermal therapy offers an alternative route for cancer treatment. Photothermal therapy relies on photothermal agents with photothermal conversion capability to eliminate tumors at high temperatures, which offers advantages of high precision and low toxicity. As nanomaterials increasingly play a pivotal role in tumor prevention and treatment, nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy has gained significant attention owing to its superior photothermal properties and tumor-killing abilities. In this review, we briefly summarize and introduce the applications of common organic photothermal conversion materials (e.g., cyanine-based nanomaterials, porphyrin-based nanomaterials, polymer-based nanomaterials, etc.) and inorganic photothermal conversion materials (e.g., noble metal nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, etc.) in tumor photothermal therapy in recent years. Finally, the problems of photothermal nanomaterials in antitumour therapy applications are discussed. It is believed that nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy will have good application prospects in tumor treatment in the future.

Automated summary

Cancer is a significant global public health issue, and finding more effective methods of treatment is a major challenge in modern medicine. Photothermal therapy, using materials that convert light into heat to eliminate tumors, has gained attention as a precise and low-toxicity alternative treatment. This review summarizes the applications of organic (cyanine-based, porphyrin-based, polymer-based) and inorganic (noble metal-based, carbon-based) photothermal conversion materials in tumor treatment, and discusses the challenges of using these materials for antitumor therapy. Nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy shows promising prospects for future tumor treatment.