title: Nanoparticle amplificationviaphotothermal unveiling of cryptic collagen binding sites.
abstract: The success of nanoparticle-based cancer therapies ultimately depends on their ability to selectively and efficiently accumulate in regions of disease. Outfitting nanoparticles to actively target tumor-specific markers has improved specificity, yet it remains a challenge to amass adequate therapy in a selective manner. To help address this challenge, we have developed a mechanism of nanoparticle amplification based on stigmergic (environment-modifying) signalling, in which a "Signalling" population of gold nanorods induces localized unveiling of cryptic collagen epitopes, which are in turn targeted by "Responding" nanoparticles bearing gelatin-binding fibronectin fragments. We demonstrate that this two-particle system results in significantly increased, selective recruitment of responding particles. Such amplification strategies have the potential to overcome limitations associated with single-particle targeting by leveraging the capacity of nanoparticles to interact with their environment to create abundant new binding motifs.
authors.affiliation: Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology , 77 Massachusetts Ave. 76-453 , Cambridge , MA 02139 , USA . Email: sbhatia@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Justin H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Maltzahn
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Douglass
authors.forename: Ji-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sailor
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruoslahti
authors.forename: Sangeeta N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bhatia