Tuana Karaarslan

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1 in 5 people will develop cancer during their lifetime. Conventional therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy often fall short due to challenges like incomplete tumor removal, multidrug resistance, and non-specificity. There is an urgent need for safe, selective, and effective treatments, especially for difficult-to-treat cancers. Phototherapies, including photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), have shown great potential in preclinical cancer studies. These therapies target cancer cells using localized photothermal or photochemical processes. However, traditional approaches often suffer from low specificity, as many materials used lack targeting capabilities. Nanomaterials have revolutionized phototherapy strategies, offering enhanced specificity and efficiency. Nanoparticles smaller than 200 nm preferentially accumulate in tumor tissues and exhibit strong absorption in the near-infrared range. This not only improves light-mediated treatment outcomes but also minimizes off-target effects. Despite reaching clinical trials, our understanding of the mechanisms, efficiency, and toxicity of these therapies remains limited.

Project Aim
This project seeks to uncover the mechanisms underlying nanomaterial-mediated phototherapies at the single-cell level and to investigate cellular responses. By leveraging advanced fluorescence-based sensors and microscopy techniques, the project will monitor parameters such as temperature changes, singlet oxygen generation, and cellular stress signaling. To mimic the physiological complexity of solid tumors, the study will use advanced 3D tumor models like spheroids, which better replicate the heterogeneity of in vivo tumors compared to traditional 2D cell cultures. These models will provide deeper insights into the signaling pathways involved in the response to phototherapies.