Bengaluru: Indian scientists have developed a simplified, one-step method to synthesise nano-cups, minute, bowl-like particles, capable of destroying cancer tumours using heat. This innovation holds the potential to make photothermal therapy (PTT), a non-invasive cancer treatment technique, significantly more accessible and effective.
“The team, comprising researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali; Advanced Centre for Treatment Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre; and the IIT-Bombay, has fabricated what are known as PEGylated semi-shells (SS) with a unique nano-cup morphology. These structures are partly coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), which boosts their compatibility with biological systems,” the department of science and technology (DST) said.
Traditionally, manufacturing such nano-cups involved cumbersome, multi-step procedures and harsh chemicals like hydrofluoric acid. The new method, published in Communications Chemistry, a journal from the Nature group, sidesteps those issues by using biocompatible materials and mild conditions.
“The process replaces complex etching with a clever use of ZIF-8, a metal-organic framework, as a sacrificial template. As the ZIF-8 dissolves, gold nanoparticles grow in its place, forming the semi-shells, all at room temperature, and using ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) as a gentle reducing agent,” DST said.
Importantly, it added, the resulting nanoparticles strongly absorb and scatter light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This makes them highly effective for PTT, which involves using laser light to heat and destroy cancer cells.
“Further, PEG coating enhances the particles’ shelf life, water stability, and compatibility with the bloodstream, making them suitable for safe intravenous delivery. In laboratory tests, these PEGylated SS showed high photothermal conversion efficiency and no toxicity,” DST said.
The research team demonstrated that these nano-cups could successfully ablate metastatic breast tumours in preclinical mice models. The treatment not only shrank the tumours but also improved survival rates and reduced the chances of relapse.
“Beyond treating cancer, researchers suggest that the particles’ unique optical properties could be harnessed for biosensing applications, such as surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS), and future studies will explore combining chemotherapy with photothermal therapy,” DST added.
