BIBLIOS

Document type
Journal articles

Document subtype
Full paper

Title
Biological Thermal Performance of Organic and Inorganic Aerogels as Patches for Photothermal Therapy

Participants in the publication
Tânia Ferreira-Gonçalves (Author)
Ana Iglesias-Mejuto (Author)
Teresa Linhares (Author)
João M. P. Coelho (Author)
Dep. Física
IBEB
Pedro Vieira (Author)
Pedro Faísca (Author)
José Catarino (Author)
Pedro Pinto (Author)
David Ferreira (Author)
Hugo A. Ferreira (Author)
Maria Manuela Gaspar (Author)
Luísa Durães (Author)
Carlos A. García-González (Author)
Catarina Pinto Reis (Author)

Summary
Aerogels are materials with unique properties, among which are low density and thermal conductivity. They are also known for their exquisite biocompatibility and biodegradability. All these features make them attractive for biomedical applications, such as their potential use in photothermal therapy (PTT). This technique is, yet, still associated with undesirable effects on surrounding tissues which emphasizes the need to minimize the exposure of healthy regions. One way to do so relies on the use of materials able to block the radiation and the heat generated. Aerogels might be potentially useful for this purpose by acting as insulators. Silica- and pectin-based aerogels are reported as the best inorganic and organic thermal insulators, respectively; thus, the aim of this work relies on assessing the possibility of using these materials as light and thermal insulators and delimiters for PTT. Silica- and pectin-based aerogels were prepared and fully characterized. The thermal protection efficacy of the aerogels when irradiated with a near-infrared laser was assessed using phantoms and ex vivo grafts. Lastly, safety was assessed in human volunteers. Both types presented good textural properties and safe profiles. Moreover, thermal activation unveils the better performance of silica-based aerogels, confirming the potential of this material for PTT.


Where published
Gels

Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 2310-2861

Publisher
MDPI AG



Document Identifiers
DOI - https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8080485
URL - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/gels8080485

Rankings
SCIMAGO Q1 (2021) - 0.69 - Polymers and Plastics