2025/12/07 by Malou Henriksen‐Lacey, Cristina de la Encarnación, Carlos Renero‐Lecuna +5 · 1 voice
Engineering · Materials Science · #Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics #Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications #Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Imaging
paper · doi:10.1021/acsnano.5c13978
openalex created_date 2025/12/07 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging class of preclinical cancer treatments that allows the localized thermal ablation of tumors, generally using light sources in the near-infrared (NIR) to maximize tissue penetration and minimize healthy cell damage. Although PTT can be achieved with other materials featuring a high absorption cross-section at the NIR wavelength of the incident light source, plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as effective tools thanks to their high extinction cross-section, photothermal conversion efficiency, and tunable optical properties. Numerous studies have described the use of plasmonic NPs as nanoheaters both in vitro and in vivo . However, these reports often lack critical methodological details regarding the evaluation of photothermal effects. Key experimental parameters ─ such as laser type, beam profile, calibration procedures, and the use of optical elements ( e.g ., collimators, filters) ─ are often not specified, despite their substantial impact on the reported thermal outcomes. This lack of transparency hampers reproducibility and complicates cross-study comparisons. We analyze hereby a set of experimental design parameters that are essential for the accurate assessment of PTT performance, with a particular focus on plasmonic NPs as photothermal agents. This work is supported by experimental data obtained using gold nanostars under various irradiation scenarios. We conclude with a practical checkpoint guide of factors to be considered when conducting PTT experiments.