FLEXIBLE GEL IMPLANT LOADED WITH PERSISTENT LUMINESCE NANOPARTICLES FOR PHOTOTHERAPY IN DEEP TISSUES

ZHONG JINGLIN

Publication

FLEXIBLE GEL IMPLANT LOADED WITH PERSISTENT LUMINESCE NANOPARTICLES FOR PHOTOTHERAPY IN DEEP TISSUES

ZHONG JINGLIN

Abstract

Phototherapy, an effective medical treatment using light with minimal side effects, is limited for deep-seated diseases due to low UV and visible light penetration (1-3 mm). While X-rays penetrate deeper, their direct use in phototherapy is challenging for optogenetic and photodynamic therapies, as they cannot activate opsins and photosensitizers. To overcome this, nanotransducers converting X-rays to UV/visible light are used. Among them, X-ray activated persistence luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) gained interest. PLNPs emit light continuously for several minutes to hours, reducing X-ray-induced damage. This thesis proposes using X-ray-activated NaLuF4 PLNPs co-doped withTb and Gd for deep tissue phototherapy. The study explores enhancing luminescence by coating PLNPs with an inert NaYF4 shell and pre-investigates their biocompatibility and loading into epoxy resin or PDMS for clinical applications. Insights from this study enable effective deep-seated phototherapy for diseases in deep tissues.