Gold nanorods-loaded hydrogel-forming needles for local hyperthermia applications: Proof of concept

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer and responsible for most of the cancer related morbidities and pose a significant public health concern worldwide. Surgery treatment modality is able to clear the BCC, yet it mostly leads to scar formation. Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) which involves using gold nanostructures and near-infrared (NIR) light to kill the BCC cells by local heating is associated with excellent tissue preservation and healing without scarring. Parenteral administration of such gold nanostructures suffers from off-target delivery and side effects. Delivering such phototherapeutics directly to the BCC proved to be an attractive alternative route of administration yet encountered with penetration limitations due to the stratum corneum (SC) fierce barrier. In the current study, we developed and optimised a novel NIR light-responsive hydrogel-forming long needle (HFLN) loaded with Gold nanorods (GNRs) as a potential plasmonic photothermal device for localised treatment of nodular BCC. The HFLN was prepared from Gantrez® S-97 and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 200 Da and characterized in terms of swelling, insertion and mechanical properties. GNRs were synthesised and tunned using seed-mediated growth method. The integrated devices developed could revolutionise BCC treatment benefiting both patients and healthcare providers.