journal article·2025-05-01Open access

Functional gold nanoparticles in diagnosis and treatment of cancer: A systematic review

Bingrui Li, Maihemuti Yakufu, Ru Xie, Hanfei Peng, Xiaohu Mi, Hairegu Tuxun

APL Materials· Volume 13· Issue 5

Abstract

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of cancer are critical to reducing mortality rates and enhancing patient quality of life. Nanotechnology-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment are emerging approaches widely adopted in early cancer diagnosis and treatment, effectively addressing the high costs, potential radiation risks, and sensitivity limitations of traditional methods. Among the diverse range of nanomaterials, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have demonstrated remarkable potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment owing to their exceptional physicochemical stability and distinctive localized surface plasmon resonance effect. Moreover, their small size enables Au NPs to target malignant tumor tissues passively through the enhanced permeation and retention effect. This review begins with a concise overview of the optical properties of Au NPs, followed by an examination of the detection mechanism of Au NP-based biosensors for cancer markers and a systematic summary of the related early diagnosis studies. The latest advances in Au NPs-based optical therapeutic technology research, including photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and combination therapy in the field of cancer treatment, are highlighted. Finally, this review provides an outlook for further applications of Au NPs in diagnostic and therapeutic integration.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications · Advanced Nanomaterials in Catalysis

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Medical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang Medical University 1 , Urumqi 830054,

Institute of Medical Engineering Interdisciplinary Research, Xinjiang Medical University 2 , Urumqi 830017,

Orthopaedic Research Center, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University 3 , Tianshan District, Urumqi 830002,

Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of TCM Technologies and Devices, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine 4 , Xixian New Area 712046,

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · Xinjiang Tianchi Doctoral Project · Xinjiang Medical University · State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Disease and Central Asia · Key Scientific Research Program of Shaanxi Provincial Education Department

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