Professor Jin-ho Chang and his research team at DGIST have developed a groundbreaking technology known as Ultrasound-assisted Photothermal Therapy (ULTRA-PTT), which enhances the effectiveness of conventional photothermal therapy. Collaborating with Senior Researcher Hye-min Kim from GIST, the team leveraged proprietary ultrasound-induced optical clearing technology to tackle the issue of light penetration in biological tissues, which often hampers the effectiveness of phototherapy. Traditional phototherapy methods struggle with optical scattering, limiting their ability to target deeper lesions due to the high water content in human tissues, leading to potential side effects like burns. Unlike previous research focused on photothermal agents, Chang’s team concentrated on reducing optical scattering itself by creating air bubbles in tissues using ultrasound, which significantly improves light penetration. This approach was validated through their work published in Nature Photonics in 2022, demonstrating over six times greater imaging depth with their technology. The ULTRA-PTT system includes a user-friendly handpiece that combines an ultrasound generation unit and a laser irradiation unit, allowing precise application of treatment. In preclinical tests on mice with melanoma, the ULTRA-PTT demonstrated continuous tumor size reduction, achieving complete tumor elimination after eight days, while showing no harm to surrounding tissues. This research, funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, not only proves the safety and efficacy of the ULTRA-PTT but also positions it for potential commercialization in the field of optical science. The team’s findings have been published in Advanced Optical Materials, underscoring the promising advancements in photothermal therapy applications.
ULTRA-PTT: Advancing Photothermal Therapy with Ultrasound Precision
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