Gold nanoparticles in cancer therapy: Overview and perspectives

Abstract

Nanoparticles can improve cancer diagnosis, imaging and therapy at the cellular and molecular levels. Gold as a drug and medicinal agent have been used for disease treatment since long time ago. Primitive application of gold for medicinal purposes returned to Alexandria, Egypt, Over 5000 years ago. It was used for mental, bodily and spiritual purification. Gold is a transition metal which is known to possess many intriguing properties. Its lustrous attributes has lead to avalanche of applications. Soluble and stable colored gold that appeared around 4th century B.C. in Egypt and China led to its use as a pigment for coating glasses, enamel and chinaware among others. Based on the concepts and the methodologies, various chemical methods of syntheses of GNPs evolved. The most important attributes of GNPs is their size tunability, easy absorption by body fluids and passage through the body circulation without rejection. GNPs can pass through leaky capillaries and directly reach tumor surfaces. The anticancer drugs either kill cancer cells or modify their growth. However, selectivity of majority of drugs is limited and they are one of the most toxic drugs used in therapy.