title: Bioproduction of gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Photothermal response of plasmonic nanomaterials can be utilized for a number of therapeutic applications such as the ablation of solid tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gold nanoparticles were prepared using different methods. After optimization, we applied an aqueous plant extract as the reducing and capping agent of gold and maximized the near-infrared absorption (650-900 nm). Resultant nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility when tested in vitro in human keratinocytes and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gold nanoparticles were easily activated by controlled temperature with an ultrasonic water bath and application of a pulsed laser.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These gold nanoparticles can be synthesized with reproducibility, modified with seemingly limitless chemical functional groups, with adequate controlled optical properties for laser phototherapy of tumors and targeted drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: CBiOS, Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina Oliveira
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CBiOS, Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.|iMed.ULisboa, Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rijo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alcalá, Campus Universitario, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molpeceres
authors.affiliation: CESAM, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ascensão
authors.affiliation: CBiOS, Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amílcar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberto
authors.affiliation: CBiOS, Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.|iMed.ULisboa, Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Sofia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Óptica, Lasers e Sistemas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Óptica, Lasers e Sistemas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.|Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: João M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pinto Coelho
authors.affiliation: LIBPhys-UNL, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: LIBPhys-UNL, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: CBiOS, Research Center for Biosciences & Health Technologies, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.|Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina Pinto
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D007834:Lasers; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry; D000069453:Ultrasonic Waves
chemical_list: D006046:Gold
keywords: bioproduction; gold nanoparticles; photothermal therapy