Gold nanorod-based smart platform for efficient cellular uptake and combination therapy

Gold nanorods (GNRs) have received much attention as potential drug-delivery vehicles because of their various advantages such as good biocompatibility, passive targeting, responsiveness to stimuli, and easy post-functionalization by surface modification. However, the drug structure might be changed for loading into GNRs, making it difficult to load various drugs, and the space to contain drugs is small, making it difficult to deliver sufficient drugs required for treatment compared with other porous materials. Herein, we report an amphiphilic polymer-coated GNR platform for chemo- and photothermal combination therapy. Amphiphilic polymers comprise hydrophobic alkyl chains for drug encapsulation, polyethylene glycol for biocompatibility, and folic acid for cancer targeting. GNRs generate heat energy under near-infrared light irradiation, promoting controlled drug release, and inducing cellular uptake by deforming the cell membrane. On-demand release behavior was traced with Nile red, and targeting and delivery efficiency were confirmed with paclitaxel through cellular experiments. This GNR-based platform enables combination therapy with passive and active targeting to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment.