Nanoshell implants use NIR (near-infrared) light to ablate cancer:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Metal nanoshells inserted into tumours and irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) light could destroy cancers without damaging healthy tissue, an early US study has shown. The nanoshells may be able to absorb sufficient NIR light, from an extracorporeal source, to thermally ablate a tumour without harming normal tissue nearby, report study investigators, led by Jennifer West, of Rice University, in Houston, Texas. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (November 3).