A Functional Air-Bubble Microlaser for Screening Photothermal Agents in Tumor Multicellular Model.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Photothermal therapy (PTT) utilizes photothermal agents (PTAs) to convert light into heat for disease treatment.
• Efficiently screening PTAs in complex biological systems remains a significant challenge.
• Current methods lack the sensitivity and real-time capabilities needed for in situ evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel air-bubble microlaser platform for sensitive and efficient screening of PTAs.
• To enable real-time, all-optical evaluation of heat generation by PTAs within a tumor multicellular environment.
• To support the development of translatable photothermal therapies.

Main Methods:

• Development of a functional air-bubble microlaser using biocompatible polymers.
• Integration of the microlaser into tumor multicellular models for in situ analysis.
• Utilizing thermally driven bubble cavity changes to detect wavelength shifts, quantifying heat generation with high sensitivity (2.085 nm °C⁻¹).

Main Results:

• Demonstrated ultrahigh sensitivity in detecting temperature changes via wavelength shifts.
• Successfully benchmarked various PTAs based on composition, size, dose, and formulations.
• Evaluated targeting-specific PTAs by comparing localized heating in receptor-positive and control models.

Conclusions:

• The air-bubble microlaser provides a precise and scalable assay for PTA evaluation.
• This platform facilitates real-time, all-optical assessment of PTA performance in relevant biological contexts.
• The developed technology supports the advancement of preclinical photothermal therapies.