Abu Dhabi, UAE: Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed a new light-based nanotechnology that could improve how certain cancers are detected and treated, offering a more precise and potentially less harmful alternative to chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. The study advances photothermal therapy, a treatment approach that uses light to generate heat inside tumors and destroy cancer cells. The NYU Abu Dhabi team designed tiny, biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles that carry a dye activated by near-infrared light. “By addressing key challenges in delivering therapeutic agents to tumors, our approach has the potential to improve cancer treatment precision. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages.