Near-infrared remotely triggered drug-release strategies for cancer treatment

Abstract

Significance Gold-based nanoparticles that absorb near-infrared light have shown the potential to selectively target and treat cancer through highly efficient light-to-heat conversion. This study shows that gold-based nanoparticles can be coated with drug-bearing host biomolecules for remotely triggerable release. Near-infrared light-triggered release of docetaxel from a nanoshell-based DNA host complex, and lapatinib from nanoshell-based DNA and human serum albumin host complexes, is demonstrated. There is a strong dependence upon the type of near-infrared illumination––continuous wave or pulsed––specific to the drug-laden host molecules. Localizing drug delivery both spatially and temporally by combining nanoshell-based complexes and pulsed-laser irradiation is a promising strategy for highly controlled drug delivery that can apply to a myriad of therapeutic applications.