Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Theranostics

Gold nanoparticles have seen unprecedented development in the biomedical field, particularly for cancer therapy. They have received extensive attention because of their easy preparation, functionalization, biocompatibility, non‐cytotoxicity, and detectability. Functionalized gold nanoparticles can be applied in the fields of drug and gene delivery, photothermal therapy, and bioimaging. This review introduces methods for preparing various shapes of gold nanoparticles and describes their current applications in the field of cancer treatment. Moreover, the review presents the development routes and current issues of gold nanoparticles in clinical theranostics.     

Semiconducting Polycomplex Nanoparticles for Photothermal Ferrotherapy of Cancer

This study reports the development of iron‐chelated semiconducting polycomplex nanoparticles (SPFeN) for photoacoustic (PA) imaging‐guided photothermal ferrotherapy of cancer. The hybrid polymeric nanoagent comprises a ferroptosis initiator (Fe³⁺) and an amphiphilic semiconducting polycomplex (SP_C) serving as both the photothermal nanotransducer and iron ion chelator. By virtue of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafting and its small size, SPFeN accumulates in the tumor of living mice after systemic administration, which can be monitored by PA imaging. In the acidic tumor microenvironment, SPFeN generates hydroxyl radicals, leading to ferroptosis; meanwhile, under NIR laser irradiation, it generates localized heat to not only accelerate the Fenton reaction but also implement photothermal therapy. Such a combined photothermal ferrotherapeutic effect of SPFeN leads to minimized dosage of iron compared to previous studies and effectively inhibits the tumor growth in living mice, which is not possible for the controls.     

Rapid Colorimetric Identification and Targeted Photothermal Lysis of Salmonella Bacteria by Using Bioconjugated Oval‐Shaped Gold Nanoparticles

Salmonella bacteria are the major cause for the infection of 16 million people worldwide with typhoid fever each year. Antibiotic‐resistant Salmonella strains have been isolated from various food products. As a result, the development of ultrasensitive sensing technology for detection and new approaches for the treatment of infectious bacterial pathogens that do not rely on traditional therapeutic regimes is very urgent for public health, food safety, and the world economy. Driven by this need, we report herein a nanotechnology‐driven approach that uses antibody‐conjugated oval‐shaped gold nanoparticles to selectively target and destroy pathogenic bacteria. Our experiments have shown the use of a simple colorimetric assay, with an anti‐salmonella antibody conjugated to oval‐shaped gold nanoparticles, for the label‐free detection of S. typhimurium with an excellent detection limit (10⁴ bacteria per mL) and high selectivity over other pathogens. When bacteria conjugated to oval‐shaped gold nanoparticles were exposed to near‐infrared radiation, a highly significant reduction in bacterial cell viability was observed due to photothermal lysis. Ideally, this nanotechnology‐based assay would have enormous potential for rapid, on‐site pathogen detection to avoid the distribution of contaminated foods.     

Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles with Phospholipid‐PEG Coating for In Vivo Near‐Infrared Photothermal Cancer Therapy

In this work, small sizes of hydrophobic copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs, ～3.8 nm in diameter) have been successfully prepared from the reaction of copper chloride with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (SDEDTC) inside a heated oleylamine solution. These CuS NPs displayed strong absorption in the 700–1100 nm near‐infrared (NIR) region. By coating CuS NPs with DSPE‐PEG2000 on the surface, the as‐synthesized CuS@DSPE‐PEG NPs exhibited good water solubility, significant stability and biocompatibility, as well as excellent photothermal conversion effects upon exposure to an 808 nm laser. After intravenous administration to mice, the CuS@DSPE‐PEG NPs were found to passively target to the tumor site, and tumor tissues could be ablated efficiency under laser irradiation. In addition, CuS@DSPE‐PEG NPs do not show significant toxicity by histological and blood chemistry analysis, and can be effectively excreted via metabolism. Our results indicated that CuS@DSPE‐PEG NPs can act as an ideal photothermal agent for cancer photothermal therapy.     

Thiol-Responsive Gold Nanodot Swarm with Glycol Chitosan for Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the most promising cancer treatment methods because hyperthermal effects and immunogenic cell death via PTT are destructive to cancer. However, PTT requires photoabsorbers that absorb near-infrared (NIR) light with deeper penetration depth in the body and effectively convert light into heat. Gold nanoparticles have various unique properties which are suitable for photoabsorbers, e.g., controllable optical properties and easy surface modification. We developed gold nanodot swarms (AuNSw) by creating small gold nanoparticles (sGNPs) in the presence of hydrophobically-modified glycol chitosan. The sGNPs assembled with each other through their interaction with amine groups of glycol chitosan. AuNSw absorbed 808-nm laser and increased temperature to 55 °C. In contrast, AuNSw lost its particle structure upon exposure to thiolated molecules and did not convert NIR light into heat. In vitro studies demonstrated the photothermal effect and immunogenic cell death after PTT with AuNSW. After intratumoral injection of AuNSw with laser irradiation, tumor growth of xenograft mouse models was depressed. We found hyperthermal damage and immunogenic cell death in tumor tissues through histological and biochemical analyses. Thiol-responsive AuNSw showed feasibility for PTT, with advanced functionality in the tumor microenvironment.     

pH-Responsive Luminescent Lanthanide-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles with "On-Off" Ytterbium Switchable Near-Infrared Emission

A pH indicator: Near-infrared emitting lanthanide-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been prepared through self-assembly at the gold surface between a ytterbium(III)-cyclen complex and xylenol orange. Excitation of the xylenol orange unit with visible light, up to 600?nm, results in the sensitization of the Yb(III) -centered near-infrared emission that can be reversibly switched "on-off" as a function of the pH value.     

Evaporation‐Induced Ordered Honeycomb Structures of Gold Nanoparticles at the Air/Water Interface

The breath figure method was used to prepare dodecanethiol‐capped gold nanoparticle macroporous structures with pore diameters from 1.7 to 3.5 μm on an air/water interface. A two‐step procedure is proposed for the fabrication of these macroporous structures, by forming a surfactant monolayer on water, and drop‐casting a gold nanoparticle dispersion in chloroform onto the surfactant monolayer. The self‐assembled films are easily transferred from the water surface onto different substrates and were characterized by TEM, SEM, and AFM. Ordered honeycomb structures with different pore arrays (perforated monolayer films, hexagonal networks and alveoli‐like porous films) were obtained. The change in morphology is concentration dependent, and deformed structures with elliptic honeycomb networks are also observed. In addition, honeycomb films using gold nanoparticles stabilized by a weakly bound ligand (dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride) were formed by the same technique. These films have potential as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy.     

Photothermal Detection of Individual Gold Nanoparticles: Perspectives for High‐Throughput Screening

We use photothermal microscopy to detect and image individual gold nanoparticles that are either embedded in a polymer film or immobilized in an aqueous environment. Reducing the numerical aperture of the detection optics allows us to achieve a 200‐fold‐enlarged detection volume while still retaining sufficient detectivity. We characterize the capabilities of this approach for the detection of gold colloids with a diameter of 20 nm, with emphasis on practical aspects that are important for high‐throughput‐screening applications. The extended detection volume in combination with the stability of the photothermal signal are major advantages compared to fluorescence‐based approaches, which are limited by photoblinking and photobleaching. Careful consideration is given to the trade‐off between the maximum increase in local temperature that can be tolerated by a biological specimen and the minimum integration time needed to reliably determine whether a given volume contains a target species. We find that our approach has the potential to increase the detection‐limited flow rate (i.e. the limit given by the detection volume divided by the minimum detection time) by two to three orders of magnitude.     

基于金纳米棒的生物检测、细胞成像和癌症的光热治疗

由于金纳米棒颗粒独特的可调的表面等离子共振特性,使得金纳米棒颗粒在纳米复合材料和功能化纳米器件的构建、纳米生物技术、生物医学等领域具有广泛而重要的应用前景。本文综述了金纳米棒颗粒的生物检测、细胞成像和癌症的光热治疗方面的最新研究进展,并介绍了金纳米棒颗粒的光学性质和金纳米棒颗粒和几种主要的表面修饰方法,对金纳米棒颗粒在生物应用过程中存在的主要问题进行了讨论。     

Rapid Cationization of Gold Nanoparticles by Two‐Step Phase Transfer

Cationic gold nanoparticles offer intriguing opportunities as drug carriers and building blocks for self‐assembled systems. Despite major progress on gold nanoparticle research in general, the synthesis of cationic gold particles larger than 5 nm remains a major challenge, although these species would give a significantly larger plasmonic response compared to smaller cationic gold nanoparticles. Herein we present the first reported synthesis of cationic gold nanoparticles with tunable sizes between 8–20 nm, prepared by a rapid two‐step phase‐transfer protocol starting from simple citrate‐capped particles. These cationic particles form ordered self‐assembled structures with negatively charged biological components through electrostatic interactions.     

Gold Nanoparticles Grown on Ionic Liquid‐Functionalized Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: New Materials for Photothermal Therapy

Gold nanoparticles were grown on single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) coated with a thiol‐functionalized ionic liquid resulting in the formation of core‐shell structures referred to as SWNT‐IL‐Au nanohybrid materials. The nanohybrid materials were characterized by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), Raman‐, and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The nanohybrid materials were found to enter lysosomes in HeLa cells and show negligible cytotoxicity. Interestingly, they have an enhanced NIR absorption that is effectively transferred into heat to cause localized hyperthermia, resulting in rapid cell death; overall, the material appears to have excellent properties for photothermal therapeutic applications.     

Zn2+‐Regulated Self‐Sorting and Mixing of Phosphates and Carboxylates on the Surface of Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

Herein, we describe the self‐sorting of phosphate‐ and carboxylate‐containing molecules on the surface of monolayer‐protected gold nanoparticles. Self‐sorting is driven by selective interactions between the phosphate probe and Zn²⁺ complexes in one monolayer; these interactions force the carboxylate probe to move to a second type of nanoparticle. This process effectively separates the probes and causes their localization in well‐defined spaces surrounding the nanoparticles. The removal/addition of Zn²⁺ metal ions from the system is used to convert the system from an ordered to a disordered state and vice versa. The possibility to control the location and transport of populations of molecules in a complex mixture creates new perspectives for the development of innovative complex catalytic systems that mimic nature.     

Mechanism and Cellular Kinetic Studies of the Enhancement of Antioxidant Activity by Using Surface‐Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

The enhanced antioxidant activity of surface‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesized by self‐assembly has attracted great attention, but little is known about the mechanism behind the enhanced activity. To address this challenge, the antioxidant activity of Au@PEG3SA (i.e., surface‐functionalization of spherical AuNPs with the antioxidant salvianic acid A) was used as an example to illustrate the mechanism of the enhanced activity. Evaluation of the antioxidant activity was performed in a radical‐scavenging reaction between Au@PEG3SA and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. As expected, the rate constant for the reaction of Au@PEG3SA with DPPH was about nine times greater than that for the salvianic acid A monomer. A comparative analysis of the spectral characteristics of Au@PEG3SA and the salvianic acid A monomer further imply that the enhancement of the antioxidative reaction kinetics may be ascribed to the variation in the transition state for the DPPH‐radical scavenging reaction through π–π stacking interactions between and among adjacent groups on the surface of Au@PEG3SA. On the other hand, the kinetic enhancement of Au@PEG3SA on reactive‐oxygen‐species (ROS) scavenging can be observed in living cells and in vivo, which possibly provides new insight for the bioapplication of self‐assembly of surface‐functionalized AuNPs.     

Amphiphilic Janus Gold Nanoparticles Prepared by Interface‐Directed Self‐Assembly: Synthesis and Self‐Assembly

Materials with Janus structures are attractive for wide applications in materials science. Although extensive efforts in the synthesis of Janus particles have been reported, the synthesis of sub‐10 nm Janus nanoparticles is still challenging. Herein, the synthesis of Janus gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based on interface‐directed self‐assembly is reported. Polystyrene (PS) colloidal particles with AuNPs on the surface were prepared by interface‐directed self‐assembly, and the colloidal particles were used as templates for the synthesis of Janus AuNPs. To prepare colloidal particles, thiol‐terminated polystyrene (PS‐SH) was dissolved in toluene and citrate‐stabilized AuNPs were dispersed in aqueous solution. Upon mixing the two solutions, PS‐SH chains were grafted to the surface of AuNPs and amphiphilic AuNPs were formed at the liquid–liquid interface. PS colloidal particles decorated with AuNPs on the surfaces were prepared by adding the emulsion to excess methanol. On the surface, AuNPs were partially embedded in the colloidal particles. The outer regions of the AuNPs were exposed to the solution and were functionalized through the grafting of atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator. Poly[2‐(dimethamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) on AuNPs were prepared by surface‐initiated ATRP. After centrifugation and dissolving the colloidal particles in tetrahydrofuran (THF), Janus AuNPs with PS and PDMAEMA on two hemispheres were obtained. In acidic pH, Janus AuNPs are amphiphilic and are able to emulsify oil droplets in water; in basic pH, the Janus AuNPs are hydrophobic. In mixtures of THF/methanol at a volume ratio of 1:5, the Janus AuNPs self‐assemble into bilayer structures with collapsed PS in the interiors and solvated PDMAEMA at the exteriors of the structures.