New light-based therapy kills cancer without harming healthy cells

Scientists have developed a new light-based therapy using tin nanoflakes and LED light to kill up to 92% of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, offering hope for safer, home-based treatment

A new light-based therapy has shown stunning results, killing up to 92 per cent of skin cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue untouched. Developed by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Porto, this innovation could make cancer treatment safer, cheaper, and even possible at home.

 

The findings, published in the journal ACS Nano under the study titled SnOx Nanoflakes as Enhanced Near-Infrared Photothermal Therapy Agents Synthesized from Electrochemically Oxidized SnS₂ Powders, reveal how LED light combined with tin-based nanoflakes can precisely destroy tumours without the painful side effects of chemotherapy or surgery.

What is this new light-based cancer therapy?

 

The therapy combines LED light with a special tin-based compound called SnOx nanoflakes. When these nanoflakes are exposed to near-infrared light, they heat up, targeting and destroying cancer cells from within. The healthy cells around them remain unaffected.

 

 

This mechanism falls under a cutting-edge treatment approach called near-infrared photothermal therapy, a field drawing intense global attention because it offers a precise, non-invasive way to kill tumours without surgery or harsh chemicals.

Why is this study significant?

 

Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can damage healthy tissue, cause fatigue, and lead to long-term side effects. Laser-based light therapies, though more targeted, are expensive and require complex equipment that is not easily available in most hospitals.

 

This study offers an alternative. By replacing lasers with affordable LED light sources, researchers have made photothermal therapy potentially available to many more patients. In laboratory experiments, the method killed 92 per cent of skin cancer cells and 50 per cent of colorectal cancer cells — all in just 30 minutes of treatment.

How do tin-based nanoflakes (SnOx) work against cancer cells?

 

According to the researchers, tin (Sn) is the secret weapon here. They began with SnS₂ powders (tin disulfide) and oxidised them electrochemically to create SnOx nanoflakes. These ultra-thin, two-dimensional structures are particularly effective at absorbing near-infrared light. Once illuminated, they convert light into heat, selectively killing cancer cells without harming nearby healthy ones.

 

It is a simple yet elegant design, using nanoscience to harness light’s healing potential in a way that could transform medical care.

This could become a home-based treatment for skin cancer: Researchers

 

According to the paper, the researchers hope that for skin cancers in particular, one day, treatment could move from the hospital to the patient’s home. A portable LED device could be used after surgery to irradiate any residual cancer cells, reducing recurrence risk dramatically.

 

This would be especially transformative for regions with limited access to advanced cancer care facilities.

 

The research team now aims to explore how light interacts with these nanoflakes in greater detail and to design devices that could bring this therapy to clinics — and eventually to patients’ homes. Their next steps include testing the treatment on more cancer types and refining the materials for maximum safety and precision.

 

Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death globally, and treatments often come at great physical, emotional, and financial cost. This research opens the door to a future where patients could undergo light-based therapies that are affordable, quick, and side-effect free.