title: Gold-doxorubicin nanoconjugates for overcoming multidrug resistance.
abstract: Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major clinical obstacle to the success of cancer chemotherapy. Here we developed a gold-doxorubicin (DOX) nanoconjugates system to overcome MDR. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were first PEGylated as Au-PEG-NH(2), and DOX was then grafted onto AuNPs via a cleavable disulfide linkage (Au-PEG-SS-DOX). Confocal images revealed that the extent of intracellular uptake of Au-PEG-SS-DOX was greater than that of free DOX in the MDR cells, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy analysis further confirmed that AuNPs significantly increased the level of drug accumulation in MDR cells at a nanoparticles dose greater than 15 μM. The cytotoxicity study demonstrated that the Au-PEG-SS-DOX nanoconjugates system efficiently released the anticancer drug DOX and enhanced its cytotoxicity against MDR cancer cells. This study highlights the potential of using AuNPs for overcoming of MDR in cancer chemotherapy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study demonstrates that gold nanoparticles can be successfully applied to overcome MDR in cancer chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Chemistry, The City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Cornelia Wing-Yin
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Wing-Tak
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Shuk Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000187:drug effects*; D006046:Gold / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006046:Gold; D004317:Doxorubicin