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Analysis of institutional authors

Ramiro Bargueño, JulioAuthor

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November 18, 2025
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Near-Infrared Lifetime Nanothermometry Detects Microwave-Induced Brain Heating

Publicated to: Advanced Optical Materials. 13 (36): - 2025-12-01 13(36), DOI: 10.1002/adom.202502319

Authors:

Ming, LY; Lifante, J; Pedrola, GL; Ortega, D; Zabala-Gutierrez, I; Rubio-Retama, J; Ximendes, E; Marin, R; Bargueño, JR; Jaque, D
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Affiliations

- Author
Biomed Res & Innovat Inst Cadiz, INiB Inst Invest Innovac Biomed Cadiz, Cadiz 11009, Spain - Author
Campus Univ Puerto Real, Fac Sci, Condensed Matter Phys Dept, Puerto Real 11510, Cadiz, Spain - Author
Hosp Ramon & Cajal, Inst Ramon & Cajal Invest Sanitaria IRYCIS, Nanomat Bioimaging Grp NanoBIG, Madrid 28034, Spain - Author
IMDEA Nanosci, Faraday 9, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
McGill Univ, Montreal Neurol Inst MNI, Dept Neurol & Neurosurg, Neuroimmunol Lab, 3801 Univ Rd, Montreal, PQ H3A 2B4, Canada - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid, Fac Ciencias, Dept Fis Mat, Nanomat Bioimaging Grp NanoBIG, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid, Inst Adv Res Chem Sci IAdChem, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid, Inst Ciencia Mat Nicolas Cabrera, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
Univ Ca Foscari Venezia, Dipartimento Sci Molecolari & Nanosistemi DSMN, Intelligent Opt Nanomat IONs, I-30170 Venice, Italy - Author
Univ Rey Juan Carlos, Dept Signal Theory & Commun Telemat & Comp, Madrid 28943, Spain - Author
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Abstract

In modern environments, the brain is continuously exposed to numerous external stimuli, including the microwave radiation used in telecommunication technologies. It has been suggested that the absorption of this radiation by brain tissue can induce local heating. Because brain temperature influences neural activity, metabolism, and overall brain function, microwave-induced heating raises concerns over the safety of such technologies. Proper evaluation of the risks associated with microwave-based technologies thus requires accurate quantification of heating in deep organs without disrupting their physiology. This study, demonstrates that microwave-induced brain heating can be remotely monitored in vivo via luminescence thermometry using near-infrared luminescent silver sulfide (Ag2S) nanoparticles. Their temperature-dependent luminescence lifetime is a reliable thermometric parameter for the measurement of absolute brain temperature. The in vivo results offer direct, real-time evidence of brain heating (up to 4 degrees C) under telecom exposure conditions (3 GHz). Moreover, they establish lifetime thermometry as a reliable, minimally invasive approach for investigating thermoregulation in deep tissues even under external electromagnetic stimulation.
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Keywords

HeatingLuminescence lifetimeLuminescence thermometryMicrowave radiationRadiationTemperatureThermal effectsTissues

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 15/125, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Optics.

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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Canada; Italy.

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Awards linked to the item

This work has been supported by Spanish Ministry of Science. The authors acknowledge support under grants PID2020- 117544RB-I00, PID2021-123318OB-I00 and CEX2020-001039-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid (TEC-2024COM-360 DISCO-6G-CM) grant and co-financed by the European structural and investment fund. The authors would like to express the gratitude to the Electromagnetic Compatibility Area of the "Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial" (INTA) for the loan of the antenna for these experiments. The authors were grateful for the support of ZMT Zurich MedTech AG, the developer of the software used for the simulations reported in this work, Sim4Life, www.sim4life.swiss. L.M. acknowledges a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (No. 202108350018). E.X. thanks the Community of Madrid for funding the project SI4/PJI/2024-00130 through a direct grant with Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, and also acknowledges support from grant RYC2023-044309-I, funded by MICIU/AEI (10.13039/501100011033) and the FSE. R.M. is grateful to the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades for support to research through a Ramon y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2021-032913-I) and Project 102R0103 (NAMSTEPS) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU.
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