Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Cell Imaging, Drug Delivery, and Near-IR Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Multifunctional nanocarriers based on chitosan/gold nanorod (CS-AuNR) hybrid nanospheres have been successfully fabricated by a simple nonsolvent-aided counterion complexation method. Anticancer drug cisplatin was subsequently loaded into the obtained hybrid nanospheres, utilizing the loading space provided by the chitosan spherical matrix. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that the CS-AuNR hybrid nanospheres can not only be utilized as contrast agents for real-time cell imaging but also serve as a near-infrared (NIR) thermotherapy nanodevice to achieve irradiation-induced cancer cell death owing to the unique optical properties endowed by the encapsulated gold nanorods. In addition, an effective attack on the cancer cells by the loaded anticancer drug cisplatin has also been observed, rendering the obtained nanocarriers an all-in-one system possessing drug delivery, cell imaging, and photothermal therapy functionalities.

PEGylated gold nanoparticles: polymer quantification as a function of PEG lengths and nanoparticle dimensions

“…Au nanoparticles of various mean diameters, coated with mPEG10,000-SH, were selected to study the effect of nanoparticle diameter on mPEG-SH grafting density. Figure 4 shows the diameter distribution by intensity of Au nanoparticles with mean diameters of 15,30,65,95,115, and 170 nm coated with mPEG10000-SH. The zeta potential of all the Au nanoparticles coated with mPEG10000-SH was in the range -7 to -1 mV.…”

“…enzymes, receptors, antibodies, DNA) and cells, but they are also very attractive candidates for use as carriers in medical diagnosis and treatment. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Gold (Au) nanoparticles are well known for their surface plasmon resonance band (SPR), a phenomenon associated with coherent oscillations of conduction-band electrons on the nanoparticle surface upon interaction with light. 2,19 The wavelength of the SPR band depends from the chemical nature, size, shape and aggregation of the nanoparticles.…”

Preparation and characterization of doxorubicin functionalized tiopronin-capped gold nanorods for cancer therapy

“…Corresponding pictures were shown on or under the zeta potential columns. photothermal therapy of cancer are gold nanospheres, nanorods, nanoshells, and nanocages [3]. The last three types of plasmonic nanoparticles are more popular as they absorb light in the NIR window (650-900 nm [29]) where light penetration is optimal due to the minimal absorption by water and hemoglobin in the tissue.…”

“…Gold nanorods (Au NRs) are promising nanomaterials as therapeutics, imaging probes, contrast agents and drug vehicles in cancer treatment [1][2][3][4]. The unique properties, such as tunable surface plasmon resonance (SPR), twophoton luminescence and ease of functionalization, make them suitable in thermal therapy, cell imaging, gene silencing and targeted drug delivery [5][6][7][8].…”

Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine

“…The iron oxide cores provide MRI signal contrast and magneto-mobility. Multifunctional nanoparticles were constructed by simultaneously conjugating siRNA, near infrared fluorophores (Cy5.5) Chemical conjugation [155,156,160,166] Encapsulation (liposomes) [154] Hydrophobic interaction (micelles and nanoparticles coated with amphiphilic polymers) [147150] Electrostatic interaction (positively charged liposomes, polymers and mesoporous silica) [144,159] Degradability (pH sensitive, enzyme cleavable, and reducible bonds) [160,166] Heat generation (infrared laser, alternating magnetic field and ultrasound) [145,165] Magneto-mobility (magnetic nanoparticles) [144,167,168] Photosensitizer [162] and cell membrane translocation peptides to dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles [155]. Tumor accumulation of the nanoparticles was confirmed with both MRI T 2 imaging and fluorescence imaging and was in good agreement with the knockdown effects of siRNAs.…”