Wavelength-equilibrium temperature dual-tunable photothermal convertible materials for temperature-controlled therapy of cancer

Abstract

Mild photothermal therapy (PTT) at temperature window of 42–47 °C has received tremendous attention for its minor heat damage to the normal tissues. As the critical step in mild PTT process, accurate temperature control still suffers from the complex environment of tumor tissue. Here we proposed a wavelength-equilibrium temperature dual-tunable temperature-controlled PTT strategy based on oligonucleotides (OGN) assembled Au nanomaterials. The NIR absorption of the Au nanomaterials enhances with the plasmon coupling caused by the OGN assembly, and rapidly reverts upon the melting temperature (Tm) of the OGN in the PTT process. The temperature-dependent NIR absorption enables the Au assembly geometry to be exempt from the external disturbance and maintain the equilibrium temperature at the Tm of the OGN. In vivo experiments have confirmed that the OGN assembled Au nanomaterials can effectively ablate the tumor with minimal side effects.