Gold nanorods/tetrahedral DNA composites for chemo-photothermal therapy

Abstract

Combination therapy is extensively developed for cancer treatment in recent years due to its high efficiency. Herein, we constructed a nanocomposite based on gold nanorods (GNRs) and drug-loaded tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDN) for chemo-photothermal combinational therapy. Anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded via the insertion within GC base pairs of TDN. The aptamer AS1411 was attached to the apex of TDN (ATDN) to target tumor cells. The DOX-loaded DNA tetrahedron (ATDN-DOX) was compressed by the GNRs coated with PEI (GNRs@ATDN-DOX) to realize the photothermal function and lysosome escape. GNRs under the illumination of 808 nm infrared laser showed high photothermal conversion and stability due to the protection of PEI layer. The drug-loading capacity of ATDN-DOX was as high as 314 DOX molecules in per ATDN. The positive charge of PEI in GNRs@ATDN-DOX nanocomposites was utilized to achieve excellent cell penetration and induce proton sponge effect for lysosomal escape. The nanocomposites presented HeLa and 4T1 cells targeting and resulted in efficient anticancer activity.

Aptamers: Features, Synthesis and Applications

“…developed a nanocomposite (GNRs@ATDN−DOX) for chemo‐PTT containing surface‐modified gold nanorods with thiolatedpolyethylene (GNRs−PEI) that were compacted to a DOX‐loaded tetrahedral nanostructure (TDN) capped with AS1411 aptamer (ATDN−DOX). The findings showed an efficient synergistic effect combining both photothermal and chemotherapy and the delivery system developed is a promising platform for tumor therapy [99] …”

“…The findings showed an efficient synergistic effect combining both photothermal and chemotherapy and the delivery system developed is a promising platform for tumor therapy. [99] Glioma is a brain tumor derived from neuroepithelium and conventional chemotherapy does not result in the needed outcome due to various factors like the blood-brain barrier and blood tumor barrier. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) is a protein involved in cancer growth and is a target for anticancer therapy.…”

“…Drug Target A15 Salinomycin Hepatocellular cancer [91] CD44 RNA DOX Triple negative breast cancer [92] MUC1 DOX MUC1 positive cancer cells [93] C2NP DOX ALCL [98] AS1411 DOX ChemoÀ PTT [99] Gint4 DOX PDGFRβ [100] AS1411 5-FU Nucleolin [101]…”

Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapeutics and Diagnostics

“…The templates used can also be made of polystyrene [13]. Meanwhile, gold nanorods, though harder to synthesize but used extensively as they have excellent light surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) because of their longitudinal surface, can also be produced by the seeding method [14]. An example of functionalization of gold nanorods is via salt aging, pH-controlled assembly, ligand conjugation, etc.…”

“…An example of functionalization of gold nanorods is via salt aging, pH-controlled assembly, ligand conjugation, etc. of DNA with a thiol group attached at one end [14,15]. There can also be synthesis using wet chemistry or classical chemistry to produce single-crystalline rods as well as pentahedrally twinned rods and polycrystalline rods are often synthesized via templated deposition [16].…”