Shang Yating, Yi Xiangxiang, Xiang Debiao, Zhou Lili
School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, People's Republic of China.
Department of Pharmacy, The Third Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, 410035, People's Republic of China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2025 May 29;20:6891-6927. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S522736. eCollection 2025.
In contemporary medicine, cancer poses a perilous threat to human life, health, and quality of life, remaining a central focus of medical research and clinical practice. Although traditional cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, have demonstrated some degree of success, they continue to encounter substantial challenges, including incomplete tumor eradication and the occurrence of severe adverse effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel cancer treatment strategies characterized by high efficacy, low toxicity, and precise targeting. Photothermal therapy (PTT), as a newly emerging approach, holds considerable promise due to its unique mechanism of action. Upon laser irradiation, PTT utilizes a photothermal agent (PTA) to transform light energy into thermal energy, thereby inducing localized hyperthermia within tumor tissues. This process enables precise ablation of tumor cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Recent advancements in photothermal agent research have yielded a diverse array of PTAs, and the synergistic integration of PTT with diagnostic and therapeutic techniques has further expanded its therapeutic efficacy and clinical applicability. This paper will provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying PTT, recent progress in photothermal agent development, synergistic theranostic strategies, and combined therapeutic approaches. The aim is to establish a foundation for optimizing PTAs design, elucidating PTT mechanisms, and advancing research on synergistic therapeutic protocols. Ultimately, these endeavors have the potential to result in more effective and safer disease treatments, thereby advancing the translation of photothermal therapy from foundational research to broad clinical application.
在当代医学中，癌症对人类生命、健康和生活质量构成了严重威胁，仍然是医学研究和临床实践的核心焦点。尽管传统的癌症治疗方法，如手术、化疗和放疗，已取得了一定程度的成功，但它们仍面临着诸多重大挑战，包括肿瘤切除不完全以及严重不良反应的发生。因此，迫切需要开发以高效、低毒和精准靶向为特征的新型癌症治疗策略。光热疗法（PTT）作为一种新兴方法，因其独特的作用机制而具有巨大的潜力。在激光照射下，PTT利用光热剂（PTA）将光能转化为热能，从而在肿瘤组织内诱导局部高温。这一过程能够精确消融肿瘤细胞，同时将对周围健康组织的损伤降至最低。光热剂研究的最新进展产生了各种各样的PTA，并且PTT与诊断和治疗技术的协同整合进一步扩大了其治疗效果和临床适用性。本文将概述PTT的作用机制、光热剂开发的最新进展、协同诊疗策略以及联合治疗方法。目的是为优化PTA设计、阐明PTT机制以及推进协同治疗方案的研究奠定基础。最终，这些努力有可能带来更有效、更安全的疾病治疗方法，从而推动光热疗法从基础研究向广泛的临床应用转化。
