Faculty mentor/PI email address
whelihan@rowan.edu
Keywords
photothermal therapy, gold nanoparticles, tumor response, literature review, carbon nanotubes
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Background: Cancer affects 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in the United States. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery often lack selectivity, resulting in significant systemic side effects. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging modality that utilizes light-activated nanoparticles to generate localized heat, selectively destroying cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (2009–2024). Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled, cohort, and controlled trials involving adults (18+) with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. Studies were required to evaluate PTT using gold nanomaterials or carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with reported outcomes of tumor response rates and safety profiles. The PRISMA 2020 model guided the study selection process, resulting in 16 articles for final review.
Results: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs), particularly AuroShell®, represent the most clinically advanced PTT platform, with FDA IDE approval and Phase I/II clinical trials demonstrating 94% tumor ablation rates with no Grade 3+ adverse events in prostate, lung, and head/neck cancers. GNPs exhibited 3.5x higher tumor uptake compared to normal tissue. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) remain in preclinical stages, showing strong synergistic potential in combination therapies, but present with higher systemic toxicity due to reactive oxygen species formation affecting organs including the liver.
Conclusion: PTT has demonstrated significant promise as a targeted cancer treatment. Gold nanomaterials have shown strong efficacy and safety in early clinical translation, while CNTs require further safety optimization before clinical application. Limitations include limited long-term safety data given the novelty of the field. Future directions include evaluation of organic dye-based agents and further investigation of PTT in combination with conventional therapies.
Disciplines
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neoplasms
Included in
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons, Neoplasms Commons
A Comprehensive Review of Photothermal Therapy: Tumor Responses, Safety, and Clinical Translation
Background: Cancer affects 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in the United States. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery often lack selectivity, resulting in significant systemic side effects. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging modality that utilizes light-activated nanoparticles to generate localized heat, selectively destroying cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (2009–2024). Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled, cohort, and controlled trials involving adults (18+) with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. Studies were required to evaluate PTT using gold nanomaterials or carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with reported outcomes of tumor response rates and safety profiles. The PRISMA 2020 model guided the study selection process, resulting in 16 articles for final review.
Results: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs), particularly AuroShell®, represent the most clinically advanced PTT platform, with FDA IDE approval and Phase I/II clinical trials demonstrating 94% tumor ablation rates with no Grade 3+ adverse events in prostate, lung, and head/neck cancers. GNPs exhibited 3.5x higher tumor uptake compared to normal tissue. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) remain in preclinical stages, showing strong synergistic potential in combination therapies, but present with higher systemic toxicity due to reactive oxygen species formation affecting organs including the liver.
Conclusion: PTT has demonstrated significant promise as a targeted cancer treatment. Gold nanomaterials have shown strong efficacy and safety in early clinical translation, while CNTs require further safety optimization before clinical application. Limitations include limited long-term safety data given the novelty of the field. Future directions include evaluation of organic dye-based agents and further investigation of PTT in combination with conventional therapies.