Assessment of the efficacy of laser hyperthermia and nanoparticle-enhanced therapies by heat shock protein analysis

Tumor thermotherapy is a method of cancer treatment wherein cancer cells are killed by exposing the body tissues to high temperatures. Successful clinical implementation of this method requires a clear understanding and assessment of the changes of the tumor area after the therapy. In this study, we evaluated the effect of near-infrared laser tumor thermotherapy at the molecular, cellular, and physical levels. We used single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in combination with this thermotherapy. We established a mouse model for breast cancer and randomly divided the mice into four groups: mice with SWNT-assisted thermotherapy; mice heat treated without SWNT; mice injected with SWNTs without thermotherapy; and a control group. Tumors were irradiated using a near-infrared laser with their surface temperature remaining at approximately 45 °C. We monitored the tumor body growth trend closely by daily physical measurements, immunohistochemical staining, and H&E (hematoxylin-eosin) staining by stage. Our results showed that infrared laser hyperthermia had a significant inhibitory effect on the transplanted breast tumor, with an inhibition rate of 53.09%, and also significantly reduced the expression of the heat shock protein Hsp70. Furthermore, we have found that protein analysis and histological analysis can be used to assess therapeutic effects effectively, presenting broad application prospects for determining the effect of different treatments on tumors. Finally, we discuss the effects of SWNT-assisted near-infrared laser tumor thermotherapy on tumor growth at the molecular, cellular, and physical levels.