Elyas Al Yasini, a CIFRE PhD student at the OncoThAI research unit (INSERM U1189), in collaboration with the company TORSKAL based in La Réunion, has been selected to present both an oral communication and a poster at the IPA 2025 international congress in Shanghai.
This research project, developed in collaboration with TORSKAL, explores the potential of plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) using TSK-001 gold nanoparticles as a therapeutic approach for advanced-stage melanoma. Administered alone or in combination with anti-PD1 immunotherapy, PPTT could provide a dual mechanism of action—direct thermal ablation of tumor cells and stimulation of antitumor immunity.
It is hypothesized that TSK-001 nanoparticles may preferentially accumulate in melanoma cells and enable targeted thermal cell death upon exposure to near-infrared laser irradiation. Such a treatment could lead to increased tumor antigen release and immune system activation, especially when combined with immune checkpoint blockade. Ultimately, this strategy might help convert immunologically “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors, potentially overcoming resistance to current therapies and improving outcomes for patients with metastatic or therapy-refractory melanoma.
