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Gold Nanoparticles: Potential Tool for the Treatment of Human Cancer Cells

  • Naturopathy, Nanotechnology, Nutraceuticals, and Immunotherapy in Cancer Research (H Latha, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Pharmacology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

For more than a century, cancer has been recognized as a fatal disease. Because current medicines are ineffective, certain modern therapeutic options are considered essential. This review provides a comprehensive outline of the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and their anti-cancer potentiality on cell lines. These gold nanoparticles are highly efficient, biocompatible, and eco-friendly.

Recent Findings

Due to the limitations of traditional cancer treatment, Au-NPs are being utilized. Owing to their unique optical and physical attributes, gold nanoparticles are widely used as promising materials in innumerable fields. Since it is target-specific, it had no undesirable effects. Au-NPs have been created utilizing various synthesis methods such as bottom-up and top-down approaches. Effective formulation of drugs has been a major challenge due to their instability and poor solubility in the vehicle. This issue can be combated by utilizing nano-particle mediated drug delivery. The enormous interfacial area of nano-particles furnishes targeted drug delivery.

Summary

This review gives an outlook on the various formulations of gold nanoparticles by physical, chemical, and biological methods, the mechanism of formation of nanoparticles, and the anticancer activity of gold nanoparticles. Papers from Google Scholar and PubMed Central have been used as references in this review. This paper reports a comparative study on the toxic effects of various nanoparticles in order to emphasize the non-toxicity of gold nanoparticles. Detailed research on gold nanoparticles will pave way for new avenues in cancer treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology for facilitating this study.

Funding

This work was funded by ICMR (35/14/2020-NAN/BMS) and DST WOS-B (2020–4964), the Government of India.

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  1. Mohamed Akif S and Sneha Unnikrishnan contributed equally to this work.

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  1. School of Life Sciences, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, GST Road, Vandalur, Chennai, 600 048, India

    Mohamed Akif S, Sneha Unnikrishnan & Karthikeyan Ramalingam

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  1. Mohamed Akif S
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  2. Sneha Unnikrishnan
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  3. Karthikeyan Ramalingam
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Correspondence to Karthikeyan Ramalingam.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Naturopathy, Nanotechnology, Nutraceuticals, and Immunotherapy in Cancer Research

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Akif S, M., Unnikrishnan, S. & Ramalingam, K. Gold Nanoparticles: Potential Tool for the Treatment of Human Cancer Cells. Curr Pharmacol Rep 8, 300–311 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40495-022-00290-z

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