Pancreatic canceris one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is usually diagnosed late and is less responsive to traditional treatments. This has led to the search for novel and more targeted therapeutic approaches, one of which is photothermal therapy with nanoparticles.
A recent study conducted in vitro demonstrates the potential of using immunoglobulin G (IgG) functionalized silver nanoparticles to specifically target pancreatic cancer cells. When these nanoparticles are exposed to near infrared (NIR) light, they can convert the light into heat, which causes localized thermal damage and ultimately leads to the death of cancer cells.
The interesting aspect of this study is the specificity of the treatment. The nanoparticles or the laser alone were found to be non toxic, but when used in combination, they induced caspase-3-mediated apoptosis, a form of controlled cell death. In addition, there was also the disruption of important cellular components, indicating successful targeting of cancer cell survival pathways.
This study, although still in the laboratory phase, indicates the increasing importance of nanotechnology based targeted therapies for cancer treatment.
You can read the whole article here: In vitro photothermal therapy of pancreatic cancer mediated by immunoglobulin G-functionalized silver nanoparticles | Scientific Reports
Could nanoparticle based photothermal therapy become a game-changer for hard-to-treat cancers like pancreatic cancer? What are your thoughts?
MBH/PS