In recent years, photothermal therapy mediated by nano-photothermal conversion materials as a new cancer treatment method has attracted the attention of domestic and foreign researchers because of its obvious curative effect and less side effects than conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In order to completely cure the tumor, the strategy of increasing the laser intensity or drug concentration is generally adopted to improve the photothermal treatment effect. But this also brings potential treatment risks and complications, such as uncertain cytotoxicity, unnecessary disability due to expanded damage, and patients' intolerance to high temperature. Cancers that occur in the head and neck of the oral and maxillofacial region, due to their special anatomical location, high aesthetic and functional requirements, should be particularly careful to avoid adverse reactions caused by excessive treatment when undergoing photothermal treatment.
In order to solve the hot and difficult problems in this photothermal treatment technology, the research group cooperated with Wuhan University School of Stomatology to prepare a nano preparation that integrates gene regulation and photothermal therapy. Under near-infrared light irradiation, the preparation can release siRNA carried on the surface of gold nanorods. Through gene silencing, the heat-resistant genes of cancer cells can be down-regulated, which effectively enhances the sensitivity of tumor cells to photothermal therapy. The photothermal effect makes the tumor area heat up rapidly, thereby effectively killing the tumor. This research has developed a safer and more effective gene-enhancing photothermal therapy technology, which has opened up new ideas for the conquering of cancer and has shown good application prospects.
The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Wuhan Science and Technology Project, the Shenzhen Key Basic Research Project, and the Shenzhen Technology Development Project.