Targeted gold nanorods for photothermal eradication of cancer cells
A group of scientists from the Laboratory of the molecular immunology, in collaboration with colleagues from the universities of Tel Aviv and Modena, has shown the possibility of using gold nanorods (50 nm in length and 8 nm in diameter) for photothermal eradication of cancer cells by the near-infrared light. Coating of the nanorods (GNRs) with a HER2-specific DARPin, a module of non-immunoglobulin nature, yields stable DARPin-GNR conjugates capable of selective interaction with the surface of HER2-positive cells. Illumination by the near-infrared light (850 nm) led to almost complete eradication of cancer cells. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that a monolayer of DARPin molecules is formed on the surface of the nanorod. Conjugation with the nanorod does not involve the protein's domain responsible for specific binding to HER2. Our results provide the possibility of phototherapy tumors and metastases of deep tissues. The research was supported by the RSF grant No. 19-14-00112 and the results of the work were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials Interfaces.
november 1, 2019