Photothermal therapy based on magnetic nanoparticles in cancer

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an extensively used kind of cancer treatment based on thermal energy, which has been technically mature relative to other emerging nanotechnologies. Initially, single-phase magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have been used for PTT due to their excellent biocompatibility and photothermal properties. With the boom of research, various types of composite-phase NPs have been developed to improve the efficiency and broaden the application range of PTT. The synergistic effect of PTT and other therapies have also gradually attracted the attention of researchers in achieving enhanced tumor elimination. However, the intrinsic obstacles of PTT have restricted the widespread clinical application, and the vague pathological mechanisms of PTT have also made it more difficult to promote clinical translation. In this Perspective, the current research progress of PTT including a diversified selection of magnetic NPs prospects toward the clinic, and the potential pathological mechanism will be overviewed. Meanwhile, the potential outlook of open challenges will be discussed for the utility of PTT.