Nanocarriers: Gold Nanoparticle–Protein Agglomerates as Versatile Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery (Small 20/2013)

The fabrication of a versatile nanocarrier, based on agglomeration of Au nanoparticle and lysozyme in aqueous medium, is reported on page 3494 by A. Chattopadhyay and co-workers. The nanocarrier is biocompatible, stable, and can incorporate hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic molecules with high efficacy via non-covalent interactions, rendering it a valuable drug delivery vehicle. Coating with an albumin layer not only increases the stability but also facilitates its uptake by cancer cells. A cell viability assay in vitro demostrates that the anticancer drug doxorubicin can be delivered to HeLa cells with high efficiency, in comparison to the free drug, for achieving apoptotic cell death. Overall, the capability of the nanocarrier for drug loading and release makes it a promising candidate for multimodal drug delivery, with the possibility of photodynamic therapy.