Ag@TiO₂ Nanoprisms with Highly Efficient Near-Infrared Photothermal Conversion for Melanoma Therapy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Melanoma is a lethal skin cancer.
• Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging cancer treatment.
• Developing efficient and biocompatible PTT agents is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, high-performance photothermal agent for melanoma treatment.
• To synthesize and characterize Ag@TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs).
• To evaluate the efficacy and biocompatibility of Ag@TiO2 NPs in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Ag NPs were synthesized and coated with TiO2 using a sol-gel method to form Ag@TiO2 NPs.
• Photothermal conversion efficiency and NIR absorption were measured.
• Cytotoxicity and therapeutic efficiency were assessed in B16-F10 cells and a melanoma mouse model.

Main Results:

• Ag@TiO2 NPs demonstrated high photothermal conversion efficiency (≈65%) and strong NIR absorption at 808 nm.
• In vitro studies showed Ag@TiO2 NPs induced cell death under light irradiation.
• In vivo experiments demonstrated significant reduction in tumor volume in mice after a single treatment with Ag@TiO2 NPs and NIR laser irradiation.

Conclusions:

• Ag@TiO2 NPs are biocompatible and exhibit excellent photothermal properties.
• These NPs represent an attractive agent for photothermal therapy of cutaneous melanoma via local delivery.
• The findings support the potential of Ag@TiO2 NPs as a novel therapeutic strategy for melanoma.