(264) Photothermal Therapy and Nanomedicine: Silver Sulfide–Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites Affect Endometrial Cancer Cell Viability

E. Gloria C. Regisford¹, Alexis Richardson¹, Victoria Jenkins²,  Confidence Ogbonna² and Gururaj M Neelgund²

¹Department of Biology, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446

²Department of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446

Abstract Text:

Photothermal therapy (PTT) using nanomaterials has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for targeting cancer, especially tumors resistant to conventional treatments. The use of graphene oxide (GO)-based composites in PTT has shown enhanced efficacy in recent studies. This project investigated the synthesis and therapeutic application of a graphene oxide–silver sulfide (GO–Ag₂S) nanocomposite for inhibiting RL95-2 endometrial cancer cell proliferation, with and without PTT. GO–Ag₂S nanocomposites were synthesized using a hydrothermal process. FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and XRD analyses confirmed successful composite formation and integration of GO and Ag₂S.. A dose-dependent cytotoxicity assay identified a non-toxic concentration suitable for treatment. RL95-2 cells were then treated with GO–Ag₂S and irradiated with 980 nm near-infrared light to assess photothermal effects. Characterization techniques verified the integration of GO and Ag₂S. Preliminary in vitro findings revealed that GO–Ag₂S combined with PTT significantly reduced RL95-2 cell viability compared to nanocomposite treatment alone. Therefore, GO–Ag₂S nanocomposites show promise as an effective therapeutic agent in PTT. These findings suggest GO–Ag₂S nanocomposites may serve as effective agents in photothermal therapy for endometrial cancer and warrant further investigation in targeted cancer nanomedicine.