On 2017 Jan 09, Kausik Datta commented:

I came to this paper after reading about Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green on Social Media. Much plaudits to Dr. Green and her team. The principle - conversion of near Infra Red light to thermal energy by Gold nanorods - is exciting and full of possibilities, and the proof-of-concept is well-demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. The question that I had about the AuNR-only group in Figure 2D is answered in the discussion, although I'd have loved to see confirmation of the visible light PTE hypothesis: because if visible light is able to show similar effects on AuNRs, it might make their therapeutic spectrum broader - but bring in problems of specificity as well. In cancer therapeutics, specificity/focus of treatment is an important issue in respect of preserving good cells and destroying rogue, tumorous ones. Ideally, visible or any other light should have minimal effect, while NIR should have maximal on rousing the AuNRs, so to speak.

Also in that respect, while intratumoral delivery of AuNRs takes care of stationary tumors, perhaps an antibody/ligand-based mechanism in conjunction with AuNRs may in future be able to target metastatic tumors as well? This is excellent work that I shall be much interested to follow. (I note that this paper is from 2014. Perhaps Dr. Green would be kind enough to provide a status update?)

On 2017 Jan 09, Kausik Datta commented:

I came to this paper after reading about Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green on Social Media. Much plaudits to Dr. Green and her team. The principle - conversion of near Infra Red light to thermal energy by Gold nanorods - is exciting and full of possibilities, and the proof-of-concept is well-demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. The question that I had about the AuNR-only group in Figure 2D is answered in the discussion, although I'd have loved to see confirmation of the visible light PTE hypothesis: because if visible light is able to show similar effects on AuNRs, it might make their therapeutic spectrum broader - but bring in problems of specificity as well. In cancer therapeutics, specificity/focus of treatment is an important issue in respect of preserving good cells and destroying rogue, tumorous ones. Ideally, visible or any other light should have minimal effect, while NIR should have maximal on rousing the AuNRs, so to speak.

Also in that respect, while intratumoral delivery of AuNRs takes care of stationary tumors, perhaps an antibody/ligand-based mechanism in conjunction with AuNRs may in future be able to target metastatic tumors as well? This is excellent work that I shall be much interested to follow. (I note that this paper is from 2014. Perhaps Dr. Green would be kind enough to provide a status update?)