Title:Nuclear Targeting of Gold Nanoparticles for Improved Therapeutics
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Celina J. Yang and Devika B. Chithrani
Affiliation:Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Canada.
Keywords:Cancer research, Drug delivery, Gold nanoparticles, Nuclear targeting, Radiosensitizer.
Abstract:Nanomedicine is an exponentially growing field, and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in particular
are extensively used in research due to their abilities as anti-cancer drug carriers for chemotherapy
and as dose enhancers in radiotherapy. Most GNP research in the past involved a system where GNP
localization was in the cytoplasm of the cell. However, it is predicted that therapy response can be enhanced
if GNPs can be effectively targeted into the nucleus. With nuclear targeting, there is a possibility
in producing additional free radicals in response to irradiation within the nucleus. This can cause
more damage to the DNA of cancer cells. In this review article, we discuss the successful NP-based
platforms available for nuclear targeting. In addition, we also present the possible mechanisms of nuclear
targeting in detail followed by its applications in cancer therapy.
