Gold nanoparticles for delivery of anticancer agents: loading of copper complexes on hydrophilic metal nanoparticles surface

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are being applied for use as imaging/diagnostic tools, drug and gene delivery, photothermaltherapy and biothecnologies.[1] Their wide success is due to their unique chemical and physical properties, biocompatibility, and well-established strategies for surface modification.[2] In this framework we report a wide study about drug delivery system based on functionalized AuNPs.[3,4] The AuNPs (diameter 7-10 nm), synthesized using a hydrophilic capping agent, and characterized by means of several technique, (Uv-visible, FTIR, XPS, DLS, FESEM, AFM) were used as carrier for Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes which showed a notable antiproliferative activity.[5] Depth studies were performed to improve the loading (loading efficiency 80%) and to have stable conjugate systems. These results open new exciting perspectives in the field of “in vivo studies”