Gold nanoparticles: synthesis, physiochemical properties and therapeutic applications in cancer

Xin-Yu Liu; Jing-Quan Wang; Charles R Ashby Jr; Leli Zeng; Ying-Fang Fan; Zhe-Sheng Chen

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.030

Gold nanoparticles: synthesis, physiochemical properties and therapeutic applications in cancer

Drug Discov Today. 2021 May;26(5):1284-1292. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.030. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Authors

Xin-Yu Liu¹, Jing-Quan Wang², Charles R Ashby Jr², Leli Zeng³, Ying-Fang Fan⁴, Zhe-Sheng Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY 11439, USA.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY 11439, USA.
³ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY 11439, USA; Precision Medicine Center, Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY 11439, USA; Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery I, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: fanxifan@smu.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY 11439, USA. Electronic address: chenz@stjohns.edu.

PMID: 33549529
DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.030

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been shown to be useful as carriers of various anticancer drugs as well as diagnosis platforms. In this review, we discuss the synthesis and physiochemical properties of AuNPs. We also highlight the photothermal and photodynamic properties of AuNPs and relevant applications in therapeutic studies. Furthermore, we review the applications of AuNPs in cancer treatment as and their underlying anticancer mechanisms in multiple types of cancer.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
Gold / chemistry
Humans
Metal Nanoparticles / administration & dosage*
Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
Neoplasms / diagnosis
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents
Gold