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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Cancer light-triggered hyperthermia mediated by nanomaterials aims to eliminate cancer
cells by inducing localized temperature increases to values superior to 42 C, upon irradiation with a
laser. Among the different nanomaterials with photothermal capacity, the gold-based nanoparticles
have been widely studied due to their structural plasticity and advantageous physicochemical
properties. Herein, a novel and straightforward methodology was developed to produce gold
nanoclusters coated with mesoporous silica (AuMSS), using glutathione (GSH) to mediate the
formation of the gold clusters. The obtained results revealed that GSH is capable of triggering and
control the aggregation of gold nanospheres, which enhanced the absorption of radiation in the
NIR region of the spectra. Moreover, the produced AuMSS nanoclusters mediated a maximum
temperature increase of 20 C and were able to encapsulate a drug model (acridine orange). In
addition, these AuMSS nanoclusters were also biocompatible with both healthy (fibroblasts) and
carcinogenic (cervical cancer) cells, at a maximum tested concentration of 200 g/mL. Nevertheless,
the AuMSS nanoclusters’ NIR light-triggered heat generation successfully reduced the viability of
cervical cancer cells by about 80%. This confirms the potential of the AuMSS nanoclusters to be
applied in cancer therapy, namely as theragnostic agents.
Description
Keywords
Cancer Gold silica shell nanoparticles Photothermal therapy Nanoclusters Glutathione
Citation
Publisher
MDPI