{"title":"Recent advances in nano-molybdenum oxide for photothermal cancer therapy.","authors":"Shihai Chen, Ping Zhang, Hongmei Bai, Wenhui Yi","doi":"10.1080/17435889.2025.2476386","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, driving the search for innovative treatments. Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a promising approach, using photothermal agents to convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat for tumor ablation. Among these agents, nano-molybdenum oxide, particularly non-stoichiometric MoO<sub>3-x</sub> (0 < x < 1), stands out due to its unique defect structure, strong NIR absorption, high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), and pH-responsive degradation. This review summarized recent advancements in nano-molybdenum oxide for PTT, covering its classification, synthesis, surface modification, and tumor-targeting mechanisms. Subsequently, we explored its applications in PTT and combination therapies, evaluated biocompatibility and toxicity, and discussed current achievements, challenges, and future perspectives in cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":74240,"journal":{"name":"Nanomedicine (London, England)","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nanomedicine (London, England)","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17435889.2025.2476386","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, driving the search for innovative treatments. Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a promising approach, using photothermal agents to convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat for tumor ablation. Among these agents, nano-molybdenum oxide, particularly non-stoichiometric MoO3-x (0 < x < 1), stands out due to its unique defect structure, strong NIR absorption, high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), and pH-responsive degradation. This review summarized recent advancements in nano-molybdenum oxide for PTT, covering its classification, synthesis, surface modification, and tumor-targeting mechanisms. Subsequently, we explored its applications in PTT and combination therapies, evaluated biocompatibility and toxicity, and discussed current achievements, challenges, and future perspectives in cancer treatment.