Por Tânia Ferreira Gonçalves (IBEB/FCUL and iMed/FFUL).

Gold has been used for centuries in several applications including pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. However, the properties as we know it for at the macroscale are quite different from its properties at nanoscale. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) present numerous characteristics that make them attractive for biomedical applications, in particular for photothermal therapy (PTT), as they can convert light energy into heat once being irradiated. In this work, it was studied the pre-clinical value of combining AuNPs with near-infrared laser irradiation for breast cancer treatment, and preliminary results unveil the high potential of the proposed therapeutic strategy.

Short bio: Tânia Ferreira-Gonçalves holds a BSc + MSc in Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics from FCUL and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology from FFUL. T. F.-G. is currently an Invited Assistant Professor at FCUL and affiliated to IBEB @FCUL and iMed @FFUL. Her work involves mostly fabrication, characterization and application of micro and nanoparticles for biomedical applications.