Gold Nanorod-sensitized Cell Death: Microscopic Observation of Single Living Cells Irradiated by Pulsed Near-infrared Laser Light in the Presence of Gold Nanorods

Abstract

Abstract Pulsed near-infrared (near-IR) laser irradiation damaged cultured cells in the presence of phosphatidylcholine-passivated gold nanorods (PC-NRs). When single cells were irradiated with a focused pulsed near-IR laser, photoreaction of the PC-NRs caused damage within a very small area around the PC-NRs, and achieved selective cell death of single cells.