Enriched Au nanoclusters with mesoporous silica nanoparticles for improved fluorescence/computed tomography dual‐modal imaging

ObjectivesAu nanoclusters (AuNCs) have been used widely in fluorescence bio‐imaging because of their good fluorescence, small particle size and non‐cytotoxicity. AuNCs are also efficient in computed tomography (CT) imaging. Hence, a dual‐modal imaging probe can be constructed without any complicated modification processes by exploiting the excellent performance of AuNCs. In the present study, AuNCs were enriched with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to obtain enhanced fluorescence/CT dual‐modal imaging, which was capable of acquiring more imaging information for diseases compared with single‐mode imaging.Materials and methodsBiocompatible bovine serum albumin (BSA)‐capped AuNCs were prepared and loaded into amine‐functionalized MSNs to form MSN@AuNCs. BSA‐AuNCs, MSNs, and MSN@AuNCs were characterized by ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐vis) spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence spectra, and zeta potential. CT imaging was recorded using micro‐CT scanning. Fluorescence imaging was measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry.ResultsThe prepared AuNCs and MSNs possessed good properties as previously reported. The fluorescence intensity and CT value of the AuNCs were enhanced after being enriched with MSNs. The nanoparticles were both non‐cytotoxic. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry indicated that MSN@AuNCs in CAL‐27 cells showed improved fluorescence imaging compared with simple AuNCs at the same concentration.ConclusionsThe results revealed that the strategy of enriching AuNCs with MSNs can obtain highly sensitive fluorescence/CT dual‐modal imaging, which indicated the potential of this nanoparticle in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.     

Very small photoluminescent gold nanoparticles for multimodality biomedical imaging

An original synthesis method based on X-ray irradiation produced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with two important properties for biomedical research: intense visible photoluminescence and very high accumulation in cancer cells. The nanoparticles, coated with MUA (11-mercaptoundecanoid acid), are very small (1.4 nm diameter); the above two properties are not present for even slightly larger sizes. The small MUA-AuNPs are non-cytotoxic (except for very high concentrations) and do not interfere with cancer cell proliferation. Multimodality imaging using visible light fluorescence and X-ray microscopy is demonstrated by tracing the nanoparticle-loaded tumor cells.     

Rapid eco-friendly synthesis,characterization, and cytotoxic study of trimetallic stable nanomedicine: A potential material for biomedical applications

In the current scenario of the fight against cancer Integration of potential elements seems to be the best alternative since it overcomes the weaknesses of individuals and the combination of elements makes them formidable in the fight against the cancer war. Inspired by this objective and trusting our knowledge of paddy straw grown oyster mushroom, Pleurotus florida (Pf) mediated synthesis; a first-of-kind approach has been developed for the rapid synthesis of Au–Pt–Ag trimetallic nanoparticles (TMNPs). The developed method was successful, which was confirmed by Ultraviolet–Visible, X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Specifically, prepared TMNPs have been studied for their stability and size as a primary prerequisite for nanomedicine. Finally, the stable nanomedicine developed has been assessed for its performance against the highly metastatic breast cancer cell line (mda-mb-231). The performance was assessed using MTT assay and morphological readings, which were integrated with the cell viability data. We also determined the IC50 value, which was far superior to individual components and motivated us to postulate the possible breast cancer cell killing mechanism of TMNPs. The present study unlocks the new paths for the mushroom-mediated environmentally friendly, economic synthesis of trimetallic nanoparticles, which can be effectively used in cancer nanomedicine.