Professor Lee Song-i's Team at National Pukyong University Gains Attention for Cancer Treatment Research Using Photothermal Therapy

Published 07 Feb.2024 16:44(KST)

Updated 04 Aug.2025 22:04(KST)

Published in the World-Renowned Journal 'Coordination Chemistry Reviews'

Professor Songyi Lee's research team (Department of Chemistry) at Pukyong National University announced on the 7th that their study on the development and application of photothermal therapy for cancer treatment was published in Elsevier's world-renowned review journal in the field of chemistry, Coordination Chemistry Reviews (Coord. Chem. Rev. / IF=20.6).

Research team photo. (From left: Professor Lee Song-yi, Kim Ga-hyun, Lee Sung-man, Min Soo-hong)

The paper titled "Recent Advances in Organic Photothermal Agents for Cancer Therapy," authored by Professor Songyi Lee, lead author Seongman Lee (Ph.D. candidate, Department of Chemistry), and master’s students Suhong Min and Gahyun Kim (Department of 4th Industrial Convergence Bionics Engineering), was published in the international journal on the 3rd.

The research team focused on enhancing the targeting ability of organic photothermal agents, designing activatable molecular structures, and utilizing near-infrared-II light (NIR-II, 1000-1700nm) in their comprehensive review study, presenting solutions for the application of photothermal therapy in cancer treatment.

Photothermal therapy for cancer treatment has rapidly advanced in recent years as a non-invasive treatment method with effective therapeutic efficiency; however, it still faces limitations that restrict its clinical application.

Unlike previous photothermal therapy studies that focused on nanomaterials based on nanotechnology and traditional photothermal contrast agents, this review emphasizes the rational design of organic photothermal agents from 2018 to 2023, expecting to promote wider clinical use of organic photothermal agents.

Review journals select academically valuable topics from existing research and reinterpret them. Among them, Coord. Chem. Rev. is a world-class journal with an impact factor of 20.6. It is a prestigious journal boasting the highest level of credibility and authority in basic science fields, providing guidelines for numerous scientists in the same field.

This research was conducted with support from the BK21 Four program, the National Research Foundation’s Excellent Young Researchers program, the Regional Leading Research Center (RLRC), and the LAMP project, led by Professor Songyi Lee’s research team.