title: Ultrastable-Stealth Large Gold Nanoparticles with DNA Directed Biological Functionality.
abstract: The stability of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in biological samples is very important for their biomedical applications. Although various molecules such as polystyrenesulfonate (PSS), phosphine, DNA, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been used to stabilize AuNPs, it is still very difficult to stabilize large AuNPs. As a result, biomedical applications of large (30-100 nm) AuNPs are limited, even though they possess more favorable optical properties and are easier to be taken up by cells than smaller AuNPs. To overcome this limitation, we herein report a novel method of preparing large (30-100 nm) AuNPs with a high colloidal stability and facile chemical or biological functionality, via surface passivation with an amphiphilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). This PVP passivation results in an extraordinary colloidal stability for 13, 30, 50, 70, and 100 nm AuNPs to be stabilized in PBS for at least 3 months. More importantly, the PVP capped AuNPs (AuNP-PVP) were also resistant to protein adsorption in the presence of serum containing media and exhibit a negligible cytotoxicity. The AuNP-PVPs functionalized with a DNA aptamer AS1411 remain biologically active, resulting in significant increase in the uptake of the AuNPs (∼12,200 AuNPs per cell) in comparison with AuNPs capped by a control DNA of the same length. The novel method developed in this study to stabilize large AuNPs with high colloidal stability and biological activity will allow much wider applications of these large AuNPs for biomedical applications, such as cellular imaging, molecular diagnosis, and targeted therapy.
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Jun Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Kyung-Il
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Hui Hun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Jin Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Byoung Sang
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Seokyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Kyung Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Seungwoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Jaeyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Dongmok
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whang
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), and §School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon, South Korea , 16419.
authors.forename: Jung Heon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004355:Drug Stability; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA; C000595209:polyethylene glycol 1000