Plasmonic photo-thermal therapy (PPTT)

Photo-thermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally-invasive therapy in which photon energy is converted into heat to kill cancer. Gold nanoparticles absorb light strongly and convert photon energy into heat quickly and efficiently, thereby making them superior contrast agents for PTT. This gold nanoparticle-assisted PTT called PPTT has showed great popularity and success in recent years. The present review starts with the outline of optical properties that base PPTT followed by description of the synthesis of several gold-based nanoparticles that have been used in PPTT including gold nanospheres, gold nanoshells, gold nanorods and gold nanocages. Therapeutic outcomes will be discussed for each type of gold nanoparticles. Cell death mechanisms and future perspectives of PPTT will be briefly mentioned at the end.