Multifunctional Gold Nanoparticles: A Novel Nanomaterial for Various Medical Applications and Biological Activities

Abstract

Nanotechnology has become a trending area in science and has made great advances with the development of functional, engineered nanoparticles. Various metal nanoparticles have been widely exploited for a wide range of medical applications. Among them, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely reported to guide an impressive resurgence and are highly remarkable. AuNPs, with their multiple, unique functional properties, and easy of synthesis, have attracted extensive attention. Their intrinsic features (optics, electronics, and physicochemical characteristics) can be altered by changing the characterization of the nanoparticles, such as shape, size and aspect ratio. They can be applied to a wide range of medical applications, including drug and gene delivery, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and radiation therapy (RT), diagnosis, X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT) and other biological activities. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no comprehensive review that summarized the applications of AuNPs in the medical field. Therefore, in this article we systematically review the methods of synthesis, the modification and characterization techniques of AuNPs, medical applications, and some biological activities of AuNPs, to provide a reference for future studies.

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“…GNPs have optical and electrical properties that make them very interesting. In addition, they have low toxicity, are potentially biodegradable, chemically and physically stable, and easy to functionalize [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. The optical and electrical properties of GNPs are dependent on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which involves the fluctuation and interaction of electrons between positive and negative charges on the surface [ 38 , 40 ].…”

“…The optical and electrical properties of GNPs are dependent on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which involves the fluctuation and interaction of electrons between positive and negative charges on the surface [ 38 , 40 ]. Due to SPR, when GNPs are irradiated at a certain wavelength, they transform light energy into heat, which can cause hyperthermia or thermal ablation [ 39 ]. So far, they have been studied as drug carriers [ 41 ], in photodynamic therapy [ 42 ] and in diagnostics to detect biomarkers of different types of diseases [ 43 ].…”

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“…Lastly, gold nanoparticles have been reported to be a promising nanomaterial with substantial biomedical applications. 80 However, they have not been as commonly investigated for their use in endodontics, possibly due to reservations regarding their antimicrobial efficacy. 6 , 31 , 41 Kushwaha et al evaluated the effect of AgNPs and gold nanoparticle-based irrigants on microbial eradication in teeth inoculated with E. faecalis , with or without Nd:YAG laser activation.…”

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