Improved biostability of gold nanostars for enhanced intercellular interactions

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Gold nanostars (AuNS) possess unique plasmonic properties for biosensing and bioimaging.
• Limited biostability of AuNS in biological environments restricts their in vivo applications.
• Need for robust nanoparticle platforms for intracellular analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the biostability and intracellular fate of functionalized gold nanostars (AuNS).
• To assess the influence of protein precoating on AuNS behavior in biological media.
• To explore the potential of AuNS as SERS nanotags for live-cell imaging and analysis.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of AuNS with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid to create SERS nanotags.
• Characterization of AuNS biostability in cell culture media with and without BSA.
• High-resolution 2D and 3D surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging.
• Cellular uptake studies in different cell types (immune vs. cancer cells).
• Cytocompatibility assays to determine nanoparticle toxicity.

Main Results:

• Functionalized AuNS demonstrated exceptional biostability in cell culture media.
• Protein precoating (BSA) had minimal impact on AuNS stability and uptake.
• SERS imaging revealed significant differences in AuNS uptake between immune and cancer cells.
• AuNS exhibited low toxicity, confirming their suitability for biological applications.

Conclusions:

• Improved biostability of AuNS enhances their utility for intracellular probing.
• AuNS are effective SERS nanotags for studying cellular uptake mechanisms.
• This work supports the development of AuNS for advanced nanoparticle-based applications in live-cell analysis.