Gold nanoparticle-coated thermosensitive liposomes for the triggered release of doxorubicin, and photothermal therapy using a near-infrared laser

Abstract

We constructed gold nanoparticle-coated liposome/doxorubicin (GCL/DOX) for the purpose of combination therapy and focused on 1) controlled drug release from the thermosensitive liposomes triggered by near-infrared laser (NIR-laser) irradiation and 2) the photothermal effect of the gold nanoshell-like structures upon absorbing laser light. GCL/DOX was prepared using thiol-group-spiked liposomes containing glutathione conjugated to gold nanoparticles under reducing conditions. The absorption peak of GCL was dependent on the amount of added HAuCl4 and shifted from 636 to 795 nm, appropriate for the absorption of NIR laser light (660 nm) by GCL/DOX. Most of the encapsulated drug was released from GCL/DOX within 1 min (>80%) under NIR laser irradiation. GCL/DOX exhibited a synergistic effect compared to monotherapy (photothermal effect alone or free-DOX treatment alone) on A549 cells. GCL is thus an effective liposome carrier, and in conjunction with NIR laser irradiation its therapeutic modality holds promise for cancer treatment.