gold nanoparticle-based photothermal therapy in breast cancer: innovations and challenges

Breast cancer, particularly aggressive subtypes like triple-negative breast cancer (tnbc), presents significant treatment challenges, with conventional methods often causing severe side effects. this review highlights the potential of gold nanoparticles (aunps) in innovative breast cancer treatments, particularly photodynamic therapy (pdt) and photothermal therapy (ptt). aunps are promising due to their ability to efficiently absorb near-infrared (nir) light, converting it into localized heat for ptt. this approach selectively destroys cancer cells by exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention (epr) effect, which allows aunps to accumulate in tumor tissues. additionally, aunps can deliver photosensitizers in pdt, generating reactive oxygen species (ros) upon light exposure, further enhancing cancer cell destruction. the synergistic combination of pdt and ptt offers improved targeting and therapeutic efficacy with reduced side effects. aunps can also augment chemotherapy by enhancing drug delivery and addressing resistance. however, challenges remain, including biocompatibility, production scalability, and clinical translation. this review provides a comprehensive overview of the advantages, limitations, and prospects of utilizing aunps in breast cancer phototherapy. emphasis is placed on further research to optimize nanoparticle design, improve targeting efficiency, and fully address safety concerns to realize their clinical potential.