Colloidal gold nanoparticles: a novel nanoparticle platform for developing multifunctional tumor‐targeted drug delivery vectors

Abstract

Nanotechnology applied to biological problems represents an emerging field with the potential to offer extremely sensitive diagnostics and targeted cancer therapies. However, to achieve these goals, nanoparticle delivery systems must outwit the many barriers that are intrinsic to the body's defenses, as well as those that develop during the growth and progression of tumors. The science is advancing and, for example, true nanoscale tumor-targeted drug delivery vectors are now able to reduce the likelihood of opsonization in the bloodstream and uptake by the reticuloendothelial system. Other advances hold promise for delivering multiple therapeutic agents to non-homogeneous populations of cancer cells in solid tumors. We briefly summarize herein our attempts to build such multifunctional nanotherapeutics using colloidal gold nanoparticles. Specifically we discuss the development of colloidal gold-based drugs that are designed to target the delivery of TNF and paclitaxel to solid tumors. Drug Dev. Res. 67:47-54, 2006.

Exploring the Potential Role of Chemopreventive Agent, Hesperetin Conjugated Pegylated Gold Nanoparticles in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Male Wistar Albino Rats

“…In particular, gold NPs possess biological activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis and anticancer properties and therefore it has been used for the delivery of drugs, proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides etc. [16].…”

Application of traditional Chinese medicine preparation in targeting drug delivery system

“…With the invention of large-scale hyperthermia instruments and the wide use of hyperthermia, thermal targeting has become much easier to implement and more precise to control (Johannsen et al, 2006;Paciotti et al, 2006;Sayed et al, 2006;Visaria et al, 2006;Yang et al, 2007Yang et al, , 2009Liu et al, 2008;Shen et al, 2008;Li et al, 2009d). Thermal targeting has the following obvious advantages: (1) Compared to other techniques such as active targeting, it can be applied on a wide spectrum of cancer types as it relies on local heating to confine the release of drugs.…”

Peptide immobilized on gold particles enhances cell growth

“…In fact, colloidal gold has been safely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis for half a century (Root et al 1954;Merchant 1998). Recent work has indicated that pegylated gold nanoparticles (colloidal gold particles coated with a protective layer of polyethylene glycol [PEG]) exhibit excellent in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetic properties after systemic injection (Paciotti et al 2006;James et al 2007;Qian et al 2008).…”