Dual wavelength-triggered gold nanorods for anticancer treatment

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.