Abstract
The excellent photothermal properties of gold nanorods (Au-NRs) make them one of the most researched plasmonic photothermal nanomaterials. However, their biological applications have been hampered greatly due to surfactant-induced cytotoxicity. We herein report a simple synthesis of highly biocompatible gelatin stabilized Au-NRs (gelatin@Au-NRs) to address this issue. The optical and structural properties of the as-synthesized gelatin@Au-NRs were investigated by Zetasizer, Ultraviolet-Visible-Near Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The as-synthesized gelatin@Au-NRs were highly crystalline and rod-like in shape with an average length and diameter of 66.2 ± 2.3 nm and 10 ± 1.6 nm, respectively. The as-synthesized gelatin@Au-NRs showed high stability in common biological media (phosphate buffer saline and Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium) compared to CTAB capped Au-NRs. Similarly, the gelatin@Au-NRs showed an improved heat production and outstanding cell viability against two different cancer cell lines; KM-Luc/GFP (mouse fibroblast histiocytoma cell line) and FM3A-Luc (breast carcinoma cell line) compared to CTAB capped Au-NRs and PEG@Au-NRs. An in vitro photothermal therapy study against KM-Luc/GFP showed that gelatin@Au-NRs effectively destroys the cancer cells.
Highlights
IntroductionPlasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a minimally invasive treatment that depends on light irradiation, and it has been widely endorsed for therapeutic application [1]
Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a minimally invasive treatment that depends on light irradiation, and it has been widely endorsed for therapeutic application [1].Noble metallic nanomaterials such as gold nanorods (Au-NRs) are the most studied materials in PPTT due to their surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modes which can be tuned between the first and second near-infrared window [2,3,4,5]
The results show that the gelatin biopolymer improved the thermal response of the Au-NRs with higher photothermal conversion efficiency than Polyethylene glycol (PEG)@Au-NRs and CTAB capped AuNRs
Summary
Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a minimally invasive treatment that depends on light irradiation, and it has been widely endorsed for therapeutic application [1]. Noble metallic nanomaterials such as gold nanorods (Au-NRs) are the most studied materials in PPTT due to their surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modes which can be tuned between the first and second near-infrared window [2,3,4,5]. The most commonly used surfactant in AuNRs synthesis is hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Studies have shown that it is one major cause of AuNRs toxicity [6,7,8,9]. It is essential to find biocompatible, non-toxic, and stable surface modifying agents to passivate Au-NRs and reduce their toxicity whilst maintaining their optical properties [10,11,12]
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