A new, groundbreaking cancer treatment combining LED light and SnOx nanoflakes selectively targets and neutralizes cancer cells, offering a safer and more accessible alternative to traditional therapies. Developed by researchers from UT Austin and the University of Porto, this method paves the way for at-home cancer treatments with fewer side effects.
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Porto in Portugal have developed a pioneering cancer treatment that uses LED light in conjunction with tin-based nanoflakes. This innovative approach effectively neutralizes cancer cells while protecting healthy cells, potentially eliminating the painful side effects of chemotherapy and other traditional treatments.
The collaborative effort, part of the UT Austin Portugal Program, leverages an emerging light-based treatment called near-infrared photothermal therapy. This method selectively heats cancer cells, causing them to die without the need for invasive surgery or harmful drugs.
The new research, published in ACS Nano, replaces expensive, specialized equipment with cost-effective LED technology and a cancer-targeting material known as “SnOx nanoflakes.”
“Our goal was to create a treatment that is not only effective but also safe and accessible,” Jean Anne Incorvia, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UT Austin who co-led the research, said in a news release. “With the combination of LED light and SnOx nanoflakes, we’ve developed a method to precisely target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.”
The treatment has shown remarkable effectiveness in laboratory studies. In tests, the approach killed up to 92% of skin cancer cells and 50% of colorectal cancer cells within 30 minutes of exposure, without harming healthy human skin cells.
Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death globally, and its treatment poses significant challenges. As traditional methods often cause severe side effects and require expensive, specialized equipment, there is a strong global push for alternative treatments.
Near-infrared photothermal therapy is one of the most promising alternatives, and this latest research could make it more viable and accessible worldwide.
“Our ultimate goal is to make this technology available to patients everywhere, especially places where access to specialized equipment is limited, with fewer side effects and lower cost,” added Artur Pinto, a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto who led the project in Portugal. “For skin cancers in particular, we envision that one day, treatment could move from the hospital to the patient’s home. A portable device could be placed on the skin after surgery to irradiate and destroy any remaining cancer cells, reducing the risk of recurrence.”
The UT Austin and University of Porto researchers plan to further study the light and heat reaction mechanisms and explore other potential catalyst materials.
Additionally, the team aims to develop devices that will bring this technology to clinicians and patients, making cancer treatment more accessible and less traumatic.
The team has also received additional funding to develop an implant for breast cancer patients, based on these findings.