Targeting nano drug delivery to cancer cells using tunable, multi-layer, silver-decorated gold nanorods

Multifunctional nanoparticles have high potential as targeting delivery vehicles for cancer chemotherapy. In this study, silver-decorated gold nanorods (AuNR\Ag) have been successfully used to deliver specific, targeted chemotherapy against breast cancer (MCF7) and prostate carcinoma (PC3) cell lines. Doxorubicin, a commonly used chemotherapy, and anti-Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (anti-EpCAM) antibodies were covalently bonded to thiolated polyethylene glycol-coated AuNR\Ag, and the resultant system was used to deliver the drugs to cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, these nanoparticles have a unique spectral signature by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which enables reliable detection and monitoring of the distribution of these chemotherapy constructs inside cells. The development of interest in a plasmonic nano drugs system with unique spectroscopic signatures could result in a clinical approach to the precise targeting and visualization of cells and solid tumors while delivering molecules for the enhanced treatment of cancerous tumors. In this study, tunable, multi-layer, plasmonic, silver-decorated gold nanorods were successfully used to deliver specific, targeted chemotherapy agents to breast cancer (MCF7) and prostate carcinoma (PC3) cell lines. The nanorods were able to induce the death of more than 50% of cancer cells with much smaller dose than the doxorubicin required when drugs were delivered alone. This nanodrug system also has unique spectral signature surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy characteristics, enabling reliable detection and monitoring of the presence of the nanomaterials inside cells.