title: Dual Wavelength-Triggered Gold Nanorods for Anticancer Treatment.
abstract: Gold nanomaterials with light-responsive properties can be exploited as light-triggered delivery vehicles to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. Additionally, different wavelengths of light can be utilized to achieve the combined effects of light-triggered release of therapeutics and light-induced localized heating, which results in improved anticancer efficacy. Herein, we describe methods to develop gold nanorod (AuNR) complexes that provide drug delivery or photothermal therapy when activated by ultraviolet (UV) or near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths of light, respectively. The surface functionalization of AuNRs with three key components is presented. The first component, cyclodextrin, serves to encapsulate drugs of interest. The second component, dextran-phenyl-azo-benzoic acid (DexAzo), serves as a capping agent that undergoes a conformational change upon UV light activation to expose the drugs for release. The third component is a folic acid-based targeting ligand that provides efficient delivery of the AuNR complexes to cancer cells. The dual wavelength activation of these drug-loaded AuNR complexes, which enables one to achieve highly efficient anticancer therapy through the combined effects of UV-triggered drug release and NIR-induced hyperthermia, is also described.
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, R4202B, EB III, 911 Oval Dr., Campus Mailbox 7115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.|Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pacardo
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, R4202B, EB III, 911 Oval Dr., Campus Mailbox 7115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Frances S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ligler
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. zgu@email.unc.edu.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, R4202B, EB III, 911 Oval Dr., Campus Mailbox 7115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. zgu@email.unc.edu.|Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. zgu@email.unc.edu.|Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. zgu@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002460:Cell Line; D004339:Drug Compounding; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D013696:Temperature; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008024:Ligands; D006046:Gold
keywords: Cancer therapy; Combination therapy; Drug delivery; Gold nanorods; Photothermal therapy; Triggered release