tLyP-1–Conjugated Au-Nanorod@SiO₂ Core–Shell Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery and Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Mesoporous silica-coated Au nanorod (AuNR@SiO2) is one of the most important appealing nanomaterials for cancer therapy. The multifunctions of chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, and imaging of AuNR@SiO2 make it very useful for cancer therapy. In this study, AuNR@SiO2 was functionalized to deliver hydrophobic antitumor drug and to heat the targeted tumor with the energy of near-infrared (NIR). To carry out the function of targeting the tumor, tLyP-1, a kind of tumor homing and penetrating peptide, was engrafted to AuNR@SiO2. The fabricated AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1 which was loaded with camptothecin (CPT) showed a robust, selective targeting and penetrating efficiency to Hela and MCF-7 cells and induced the death of these cells. When the micromasses of these AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1 internalized cells were irradiated by NIR illumination, all the cells were killed instantaneously owing to the increased temperature caused by the surface plasma resonance (SPR) of the internalized AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1. Moreover, the systematic toxicity of CPT-loaded AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1 on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was minimized, because the AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1 selectively targeted and penetrated into the tumor cells, and little hydrophobic CPT was released into the culture medium or blood. This study indicates that the AuNR@SiO2-tLyP-1 drug delivery system (DDS) has great potential application for the chemo-photothermal cancer therapy.

Gold Nanomaterials at Work in Biomedicine

“…Furthermore, the surface of SiO 2 shell can be further functionalized for targeting purposes. 293 The porous structure in the SiO 2 shell is particularly useful for applications such as drug delivery. 294,295 For detailed discussions on the surface modification of Au nanostructures, readers can refer to some recent reviews on this topic.…”

Shape and surface chemistry effects on the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of metallic nanorods and nanospheres

“…20 Nanorods can absorb visible to near-infrared light along their length (longitudinal surface plasmon response) and visible light along their width (transverse surface plasmon response), therefore giving these nanoparticles superior optical response and long-term photostability for potential medical detection and treatment. 18,20 Additional advantages of nanorods for biomedical applications are that they are easily noticeable in cells and tissues during ultrastructural observations, 18 and their longer shape and larger surface compared to nanospheres is more effective when modifying the surface with a targeting ligand that can assist in cell binding, cell uptake, and therapeutic efficacy. 21 One method that has shown promise in the fabrication of nanorods is physical vapor deposition (PVD).…”

Gold nanorods/mesoporous silica-based nanocomposite as theranostic agents for targeting near-infrared imaging and photothermal therapy induced with laser

“…[31][32][33] What is more, the desirable NIR window of the GNRs may shift to the visible spectral region as a result of frequently observed aggregating and clustering of the GNRs within different cells, and this would greatly reduce the photothermal conversion efficiency. [34][35][36] Thus, a number of nanoscale encapsulation systems, including thermoresponsive polymer, 37 multidentate polyethylene glycol (PEG), 38 human serum albumin, 39 poly(amido amine [PAMAM]) dendrimer, 40 chitosan, 41 mesoporous silica, 42 and calf thymus DNA, 43 have been developed to encapsulate GNRs and show their unique and enhanced therapeutic effects by thermal ablation of tumors.…”

“…42 However, several drawbacks, including poor aqueous stability, concentration-dependent aggregation, and nonspecific binding to proteins, greatly limited its applications as an NIR fluorescent probe. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of free ICG and ICG-encapsulated TMSG are shown in Figure 5.…”