Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) have created a new nanomaterial that can simultaneously detect and treat cancer using multiple approaches. In laboratory tests with mice, the gold-iron particles enabled real-time tumor imaging while delivering targeted treatment through heat, chemical reactions and immune system activation. Published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, the study indicates these multifunctional particles have the potential to locate tumors, treat them at the optimal moment and help trigger immune responses against cancer cells.
The core of the KRISS research lies in the nanodisk’s gold-iron-gold sandwich structure, where each layer serves a distinct purpose. The outer gold layers enable heat-based cancer cell destruction when activated by laser light. Meanwhile, the iron core provides magnetic guidance and triggers chemical reactions that damage tumor cells through oxidation and ferroptosis. This structural design allows the particles to deliver three complementary therapies simultaneously. The combination promises to offer a significant advance over current nanomaterials that typically offer a single treatment modality.
“Unlike conventional nanomaterials, which are composed of a single element and perform only one function, the material developed in this study utilizes the combined properties of gold and iron to perform multiple functions,” said Dr. Lee Eun Sook, in a press release.
Photo-acoustic imaging in the mouse study demonstrated that “PA imaging using AuFeAuNDs as a robust contrast agent offers precise localization of tumor tissue and guidance for PTT.” The researchers noted in the paper that “the magnetic-targeted AuFeAuNDs not only eliminate tumor cells but also initiate ICD by releasing DAMPs in tumor-bearing mice, leading to the augmentation of cytotoxic T cells.”
In turn, this imaging capability promises to enable clinicians to monitor nanoparticle accumulation in real-time and determine optimal treatment timing, assuming the research proceeds to human trials. The study showed that the particles triggered “immunogenic cell death (ICD) by releasing damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), thus stimulating an anti-tumor immune response.”
The KRISS breakthrough builds on extensive global research into multifunctional cancer nanoparticles. Georgia Tech and Emory researchers recently developed Janus cellular backpacks that insert into cell membranes while carrying therapeutic payloads. Other teams have explored gold-copper sulfide hybrids that combine NIR-II imaging with chemical therapy, while multiple groups are investigating metal-organic framework platforms for combined heat and chemical treatments. Despite these varied strategies, most rely on core-shell or surface-modified designs rather than the precise trilayer architecture achieved by KRISS through nanoimprint lithography. The KRISS approach may thus offer an advantage when it comes to stability and controlled therapeutic delivery.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery, Oncology
