Ultradeep Photothermal Therapy Strategies.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Photomedicine

Background:

• Second near-infrared light (NIR-II) photothermal therapy (PTT) offers superior tissue penetration for deep tissue applications.
• Current NIR-II PTT is limited to superficial depths (millimeters), insufficient for treating common deep-seated cancers like lung, pancreatic, colorectal, and stomach cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight recent advancements in ultradeep photothermal therapy strategies.
• To discuss the potential and challenges of enhancing therapeutic depth for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of emerging ultradeep PTT strategies.
• Exploration of techniques including larger laser spot PTT, skin tissue optical clearing, and optical fiber-assisted PTT.

Main Results:

• Identified and evaluated key strategies for achieving ultradeep PTT.
• Discussed the potential of these methods to overcome current depth limitations.

Conclusions:

• Ultradeep PTT strategies are crucial for expanding the clinical utility of photothermal therapy in treating deep-seated cancers.
• Further research and development are needed to address challenges and realize the full potential of these advanced PTT techniques.