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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Viral Nanoparticles for In vivo Tumor Imaging
Published on: November 16, 2012
Gold nanoparticles show potential in vitro antiviral and anticancer activity
Abouzar Babaei1, Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi2, Marzie Ghasemi3
1Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Aims:
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been attracted interests in the various areas of clinical therapeutics. In this study, we investigated the anticancer and antiviral potential activity of AuNPs against influenza A virus and human glioblastoma (GMB) U-87 and U-251 cell lines.
Main Methods:
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized by citrate reduction method. Then, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis spectra) and electron microscopy analysis confirmed the type, size (mean diameter of 17 nm) and distribution of the particles. The AuNPs in vitro antiviral and anticancer effects was evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), tissue culture infectious dose 50 (TCID50), real-time PCR, MTT, flow cytometry, and scratch assays.
Key Findings:
The AuNPs were synthesized in spherical with a mean diameter of 17 ± 2 nm and an absorbance peak at 520 nm. The AuNPs were well tolerable by MDCK cells at concentrations up to 0.5μg/ml and they significantly inhibited the hemagglutination and virus infectivity, particularly when added pre- or during virus infection. Furthermore, anticancer results indicated that AuNPs treatment caused the marked induction of apoptosis and reduced growth and migration capability of U-87 and U-251 cell lines in a time-dependent manner.
Significance:
The present results suggest that AuNPs provide promising antiviral and anticancer approaches. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mode of antiviral and anticancer action of AuNPs against influenza virus infection and human glioblastoma cell lines.
