Plasmonic Nanodiamonds: Targeted Core-Shell Type Nanoparticles for Cancer Cell Thermoablation

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 460 - 468
• Main Authors: Rehor, Ivan, Lee, Karin L., Chen, Kevin, Hajek, Miroslav, Havlik, Jan, Lokajova, Jana, Masat, Milan, Slegerova, Jitka, Shukla, Sourabh, Heidari, Hamed, Bals, Sara, Steinmetz, Nicole F., Cigler, Petr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Ablation; Ablation Techniques - methods; Alkynes; Biocompatible Materials - pharmacokinetics; Cancer; Carbocyanines - chemistry; gold; Gold - chemistry; HeLa Cells - drug effects; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced - methods; Laser Therapy - methods; Lasers; Medical research; Molecular Targeted Therapy - methods; nanodiamonds; Nanodiamonds - chemistry; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoshells - chemistry; Nanostructure; Plasmonics; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Receptors; Receptors, Transferrin - metabolism; Transferrin; Transferrin - chemistry; Transferrin - pharmacology; gold; cancer; plasmonics; nanodiamonds; ablation
• ISSN: 2192-2640; 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201400421

Targeted biocompatible nanostructures with controlled plasmonic and morphological parameters are promising materials for cancer treatment based on selective thermal ablation of cells. Here, core–shell plasmonic nanodiamonds consisting of a silica‐encapsulated diamond nanocrystal coated in a gold shell are designed and synthesized. The architecture of particles is analyzed and confirmed in detail using electron tomography. The particles are biocompatibilized using a PEG polymer terminated with bioorthogonally reactive alkyne groups. Azide‐modified transferrin is attached to these particles, and their high colloidal stability and successful targeting to cancer cells overexpressing the transferrin receptor are demonstrated. The particles are nontoxic to the cells and they are readily internalized upon binding to the transferrin receptor. The high plasmonic cross section of the particles in the near‐infrared region is utilized to quantitatively ablate the cancer cells with a short, one‐minute irradiation by a pulse 750‐nm laser.
Plasmonic nanodiamonds bearing a thin gold shell are prepared, biocom­patibilized, and functionalized with alkyne groups. Azide‐modified transferrin is attached providing particles with high colloidal stability. These nontoxic particles target efficiently cancer cells overexpressing the transferrin receptor and enable quantitative ablation of the cancer cells with a short, one‐minute irradiation by a pulse near‐infrared laser.