Folic Acid-Conjugated Gold Nanostars for Computed Tomography Imaging and Photothermal/Radiation Combined Therapy

Abstract

Fabrication of multifunctional nanoprobes, which integrate tumor targeting, imaging, and effective treatment, has been widely explored in nanomedicine. In the present study, we fabricated tumor-targeting polymer folic acid-terminated polyethylene glycol thiol-modified gold nanostars (GNS-FA), which could realize X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging and PTT/RT synergistic therapy. The synthesized GNS-FA exhibited good biocompatibility. GNS-FA could be used as a CT imaging contrast agent due to the strong X-ray attenuation of Au. GNS-FA exhibited good near-infrared (NIR) light absorption and excellent photothermal conversion performance, making them promising photothermal transduction agents (PTAs). Furthermore, GNS-FA could be used as an RT sensitizer to enhance the radio-mediated cell death due to the high atomic number (high Z) of gold. Hence, GNS-FA were used as the CT imaging agent, PTA, and radiosensitizer in this work. The in vitro antitumor experiments showed that the PTT/RT combined treatment had enhanced anticancer efficacy compared with the monotherapy (PTT or RT). Our results indicated that the bioconjugated GNS could offer an excellent nanoplatform for CT imaging-guided PTT/RT combined cancer therapy in the future.

NIR/pH Dual-Responsive DOX-Loaded AuNRs@S-β-CD Nanocomposite for Highly Effective Chemo-photothermal Synergistic Therapy against Lung Cancer Cells

“…It was recently reported that the increase of local temperature at the tumor sites could significantly increase the efficiency of the Fenton or Fentonlike reactions which provides a promising conjunction engineering of CDT with PTT. 44 Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) such as gold nanorods, 45 nanospheres, 46 nanocubes, 47 nanoshells, 48 nanocages, 49 nanostars, 50 etc. with high optical absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region have attracted much attention for cancer photothermal therapy.…”

Synergetic Thermal Therapy for Cancer: State-of-the-Art and the Future

“…This study provided the possibility for synchronous heating and radiation though the procedure of combined therapy was made by alternating heating and radiation. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is another hyperthermia modality used before or after radiation therapy [ 82 , 83 , 84 ]. Other than the heating effects, the metal ions of the photosensitizer strongly absorb, scatter, and re-emit radiation energy, and thus generating extra singlet oxygen to amplify the local radiation dose [ 85 ].…”

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in biomedical and clinical applications: A review

“…The PTT mechanism works by increasing tumor micro‐environment temperature by exploiting GNP's light to heat conversion properties which induce apoptosis and/or necrosis of the tumor cells. Several gold nanostructures such as gold nanorod, [ 271 ] nanocages, [ 272 ] nanostars, [ 273 ] nanoshells [ 274 ] were reported to be effective for PTT mediated cancer therapy. Gold shell nanoparticles (GS‐NPs), which are made up of a silica core and a gold shell with a diameter of about 150 nm, can absorb light in the near‐infrared (NIR) range and then convert the photon energy to heat.…”