Photothermal therapy, as an emerging cancer treatment method, has attracted significant attention due to its advantages such as minimal invasiveness, low toxicity, and strong spatiotemporal control. It overcomes the limitations of traditional therapies, which often involve large wounds and systemic toxicity. Recently, a study published in Biofunctional Materials reported the successful development of a novel nanomaterial. This material demonstrates excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and good biocompatibility, showing promising potential as a long-lasting and highly effective photothermal agent in experiments, thus offering new possibilities for precise tumor treatment.
Cancer has long been a major threat to human health, and developing efficient and safe treatment methods remains a key focus in medical research. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT), as a novel minimally invasive treatment, has garnered widespread attention for its precision and low side effects. Among various photothermal agents, near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dyes, such as IR825, show great promise due to their excellent biocompatibility and light absorption capabilities. However, their poor water solubility and rapid metabolism in vivo have hindered their clinical application.
To address this issue, the research team from Three Gorges University has designed and developed a nanometer-scale Zr-IR825 coordination assembly. By combining IR825 with the biocompatible metal zirconium (Zr), the material's water solubility and stability were significantly improved, enabling better accumulation in tumor areas for more efficient photothermal treatment.
Experimental results demonstrated that the material exhibited outstanding photothermal conversion capabilities under near-infrared light. The photothermal effect was closely related to the material concentration and light intensity, and even after multiple cycles of use, it remained stable, making it a promising photothermal agent for tumor treatment.
Dr. Peng Geng, the leader of the research team, explained, "By nano-engineering the organic molecule IR825, we have effectively addressed critical issues such as photobleaching and poor water solubility, while retaining its high photothermal efficiency. This significantly enhances the material's practicality and stability."
Notably, the choice of zirconium was made because of its extremely low toxicity in the human body and excellent biocompatibility, providing a solid foundation for the material's safe application.
Cell experiments further demonstrated that the material could effectively kill a large number of tumor cells under laser irradiation, while showing low toxicity to normal cells and excellent blood compatibility, highlighting its promising biological safety.
Dr. Peng concluded, "The successful development of Zr-IR825 nanoparticles offers a new approach for the development of efficient and safe cyanine-based photothermal agents, with the potential to advance the clinical translation and application of precise photothermal therapy."
The paper titled "Design and Synthesis of Zr-IR825 Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy of Tumor Cells" was published in Biofunctional Materials (ISSN: 2959-0582), an online multidisciplinary open access journal aiming to provide a peer-reviewed forum for innovation, research and development related to bioactive materials, biomedical materials, bio-inspired materials, bio-fabrications and other bio-functional materials.
Citation: Huang Y, Fang G, Wang W, Xiao S, Jin Q, et al. Design and synthesis of Zr-IR825 nanoparticles for photothermal therapy of tumor cells. Biofunct. Mater. 2026(1):0001, https://doi.org/10.55092/bm20260001 .
