Photothermal therapy
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive cancer treatment modality that leverages light-absorbing agents to generate localized heat for tumor ablation.
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive cancer treatment modality that leverages light-absorbing agents to generate localized heat for tumor ablation. The mechanism relies on converting absorbed photons—typically in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum for optimal tissue penetration—into thermal energy, which induces cellular damage, apoptotic process activation, and tumor cell death. PTT offers several advantages over conventional approaches: spatial selectivity allows targeting of tumors while sparing surrounding tissue, reduced systemic toxicity compared to chemotherapy, and compatibility with multimodal theranostic platforms that combine therapy with real-time imaging and monitoring. The field has rapidly expanded through development of various nanoparticulate photothermal agents, including plasmonic metals (gold nanoparticles and nanorods), metal sulfides (Cu₂S), metal oxides (TiO₂), and carbon-based nanomaterials, each offering tunable optical properties and surface chemistry for enhanced biocompatibility and tumor targeting.
Where the papers sit
11 papers from the last 6 months study photothermal therapy directly · updated from PubMed 2 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 11 preclinical
Themes one subject
Those 11 are all about one subject.
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Multimodal Photothermal Nanomedicine
Photothermal treatment is being combined with immunotherapy, radionuclide therapy, chemotherapy, chemodynamic catalysis and targeted cell-death pathways rather than used alone. Cancer studies emphasize immune activation, siRNA-mediated chemoresistance reversal, cuproptosis and multimodal theranostics. Wound studies pair mild heating with biofilm eradication, antibacterial activity and inflammatory-microenvironment control. The shared direction is localized, stimulus-responsive nanoplatforms, although efficacy and translation remain largely at the proof-of-concept stage.
Papers
The 11 papers from the last 6 months that study photothermal therapy directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Multimodal Photothermal Nanomedicine (11)
- Single in situ intratumoral low‑dose shikonin hydrogel plus mild photothermal therapy elicits systemic antitumor immunity in immune‑cold triple‑negative breast cancer. International journal of oncology · 21 Aug 2026 PMID 42627061
- A glucose-triggered cascade catalytic adhesive hydrogel enables mild photothermal-biofilm eradication for infected diabetic wounds. Journal of materials chemistry. B · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42611790
- A dual-responsive nanosystem for synergistic antibacterial therapy and inflammatory microenvironment modulation in infected diabetic wound healing. Biomaterials science · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42578380
- A hesperidin-engineered metal-phenolic nanoplatform for biofilm-targeted and self-amplified photothermal/chemodynamic therapy of skin abscesses. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42468758
- Localized gold nanoparticles-mediated photothermal therapy for head and neck cancer: in vivo proof-of-concept. International journal of pharmaceutics · 4 Jul 2026 PMID 42401299
- A Carbon Quantum Dot-Derived Platform Combining Photothermal and 131I Radionuclide Oncotherapy. ACS applied bio materials · 27 Jun 2026 PMID 42363901
- Dual-quenched and redox-responsive gold nanoplatforms for tumor-specific multimodal theranostics. Nanoscale · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42358224
- Fe3+-responsive aggregable gold nanoplatform enables siRNA-mediated chemoresistance reversal and combined photothermal-temozolomide therapy for glioblastoma. Acta biomaterialia · 18 Jun 2026 PMID 42315000
- Hyaluronic acid-camouflaged dendritic silica nanoparticles enable targeted cuproptosis and photothermal therapy for lung cancer. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces · 5 Jun 2026 PMID 42247956
- Dual-functional chitosan-hyaluronic acid dialdehyde nanoparticles for CD44-targeted Bcl-2 siRNA delivery and photothermal therapy in bladder cancer. Journal of biotechnology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42162746
- Titanium dioxide nanoparticles in oncology: synthesis, application, and challenges. Cell biology and toxicology · 17 Apr 2026 PMID 41998363
By study type
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (11)
- Single in situ intratumoral low‑dose shikonin hydrogel plus mild photothermal therapy elicits systemic antitumor immunity in immune‑cold triple‑negative breast cancer. International journal of oncology · 21 Aug 2026 PMID 42627061
- A glucose-triggered cascade catalytic adhesive hydrogel enables mild photothermal-biofilm eradication for infected diabetic wounds. Journal of materials chemistry. B · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42611790
- A dual-responsive nanosystem for synergistic antibacterial therapy and inflammatory microenvironment modulation in infected diabetic wound healing. Biomaterials science · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42578380
- A hesperidin-engineered metal-phenolic nanoplatform for biofilm-targeted and self-amplified photothermal/chemodynamic therapy of skin abscesses. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42468758
- Localized gold nanoparticles-mediated photothermal therapy for head and neck cancer: in vivo proof-of-concept. International journal of pharmaceutics · 4 Jul 2026 PMID 42401299
- A Carbon Quantum Dot-Derived Platform Combining Photothermal and 131I Radionuclide Oncotherapy. ACS applied bio materials · 27 Jun 2026 PMID 42363901
- Dual-quenched and redox-responsive gold nanoplatforms for tumor-specific multimodal theranostics. Nanoscale · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42358224
- Fe3+-responsive aggregable gold nanoplatform enables siRNA-mediated chemoresistance reversal and combined photothermal-temozolomide therapy for glioblastoma. Acta biomaterialia · 18 Jun 2026 PMID 42315000
- Hyaluronic acid-camouflaged dendritic silica nanoparticles enable targeted cuproptosis and photothermal therapy for lung cancer. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces · 5 Jun 2026 PMID 42247956
- Dual-functional chitosan-hyaluronic acid dialdehyde nanoparticles for CD44-targeted Bcl-2 siRNA delivery and photothermal therapy in bladder cancer. Journal of biotechnology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42162746
- Titanium dioxide nanoparticles in oncology: synthesis, application, and challenges. Cell biology and toxicology · 17 Apr 2026 PMID 41998363
Written from 11 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-08-02. Last written: 2026-08-27 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.