Development of Metallic Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy Applied Alone or in Combination with Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced-Stage Melanomas

The treatment of advanced melanoma remains complex due to acquired and innate resistance to immunotherapies. Plasmonic thermal phototherapy (PPTT) using gold nanoparticles (TSK-001) should offer a promising alternative, with direct tumor-cytotoxic effects and an enhanced immune response. This project assesses the internalization, efficacy, and safety of TSK-001-mediated PPTT alone or combined with anti-PD1 therapy. In-vitro and in-vivo studies will analyze nanoparticle accumulation, induced tumor cell death, and immunomodulation in human melanoma cell lines and humanized mouse models of melanoma. The efficacy of PPTT using TSK-001 could be observed in melanoma cell models, with viability potentially decreasing after NIR laser exposure. In vivo models, TSK-001 PPTT might reduce tumor growth. When combined with anti-PD1 immunotherapy, PPTT-induced tumor cell death could enhance possibly promoting immune activation. Integrating PPTT with anti-PD1 immunotherapy could offer an effective strategy for treating advanced melanoma by bypassing resistance mechanisms and inducing systemic antitumor immunity.