Cancer light-triggered
hyperthermia mediated by nanomaterials aims to eliminate
cancer cells by inducing localized temperature increases to values superior to 42 °C, upon irradiation with a
laser. Among the different nanomaterials with photothermal capacity, the
gold-based nanoparticles have been widely studied due to their structural plasticity and advantageous physicochemical properties. Herein, a novel and straightforward methodology was developed to produce
gold nanoclusters coated with mesoporous
silica (AuMSS), using
glutathione (GSH) to mediate the formation of the
gold clusters. The obtained results revealed that GSH is capable of triggering and control the aggregation of
gold nanospheres, which enhanced the absorption of radiation in the NIR region of the spectra. Moreover, the produced AuMSS nanoclusters mediated a maximum temperature increase of 20 °C and were able to encapsulate a drug model (
acridine orange). In addition, these AuMSS nanoclusters were also biocompatible with both healthy (fibroblasts) and carcinogenic (
cervical cancer) cells, at a maximum tested concentration of 200 μg/mL. Nevertheless, the AuMSS nanoclusters' NIR light-triggered heat generation successfully reduced the viability of
cervical cancer cells by about 80%. This confirms the potential of the AuMSS nanoclusters to be applied in
cancer therapy, namely as theragnostic agents.