Dual Wavelength-Triggered Gold Nanorods for Anticancer Treatment

Protocol
First Online:
Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB, volume 1570)

Abstract

Gold nanomaterials with light-responsive properties can be exploited as light-triggered delivery vehicles to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. Additionally, different wavelengths of light can be utilized to achieve the combined effects of light-triggered release of therapeutics and light-induced localized heating, which results in improved anticancer efficacy. Herein, we describe methods to develop gold nanorod (AuNR) complexes that provide drug delivery or photothermal therapy when activated by ultraviolet (UV) or near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths of light, respectively. The surface functionalization of AuNRs with three key components is presented. The first component, cyclodextrin, serves to encapsulate drugs of interest. The second component, dextran-phenyl-azo-benzoic acid (DexAzo), serves as a capping agent that undergoes a conformational change upon UV light activation to expose the drugs for release. The third component is a folic acid-based targeting ligand that provides efficient delivery of the AuNR complexes to cancer cells. The dual wavelength activation of these drug-loaded AuNR complexes, which enables one to achieve highly efficient anticancer therapy through the combined effects of UV-triggered drug release and NIR-induced hyperthermia, is also described.

Key words

Cancer therapy Drug delivery Triggered release Gold nanorods Photothermal therapy Combination therapy 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dennis B. Pacardo
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  • Frances S. Ligler
    • 1
    • 2
  • Zhen Gu
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  1. 1.Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUSA
  2. 2.Department of Biomedical EngineeringNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighUSA
  3. 3.Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Molecular PharmaceuticsUNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUSA
  4. 4.Department of MedicineUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUSA

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