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Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Upconverting Nanoparticles Functionalized with Protein-Gold Nanoclusters and Chlorin e6 for Near-Infrared-Activated
Vilius Poderys1, Greta Butkiene1, Dziugas Jurgutis1
1Biomedical Physics Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, P. Baublio str. 3b, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania.
This study introduces a novel near-infrared activated nanoplatform using upconverting nanoparticles and gold nanoclusters for enhanced photodynamic therapy. The platform shows promise for deep tissue imaging and cancer treatment with improved reactive oxygen species generation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Photodynamic Therapy
Background:
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) faces limitations with UV/visible light penetration for deep tissue applications.
- Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) offer potential for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation but require suitable activation wavelengths.
- Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) can convert near-infrared (NIR) light to visible light, enabling deeper tissue penetration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a NIR-activated photodynamic nanoplatform for improved deep tissue imaging and PDT.
- To integrate UCNPs, Au NCs, and a photosensitizer for enhanced ROS generation and therapeutic efficacy.
- To evaluate the nanoplatform's biocompatibility, cellular uptake, and anti-cancer activity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a core-shell UCNP platform functionalized with bovine serum albumin-stabilized Au NCs (BSA-Au NCs) and chlorin e6 (Ce6).
- Spectroscopic analysis to confirm nanoplatform formation and measure energy transfer efficiency from UCNPs to Ce6.
- In vitro cellular experiments using human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and healthy cells to assess internalization, biocompatibility, and phototoxicity upon NIR irradiation.
Main Results:
- Successful formation of the UCNP-BSA-Au-Ce6 nanoplatform with 32% energy transfer efficiency from UCNPs to Ce6.
- Efficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under 808 nm (NIR) irradiation.
- Effective cellular internalization and good biocompatibility in both cancer and healthy cells.
- Significant reduction in MDA-MB-231 cancer cell viability upon NIR irradiation.
Conclusions:
- The developed UCNP-BSA-Au-Ce6 nanoplatform enables NIR-activated photodynamic therapy with enhanced singlet oxygen production.
- This platform offers a promising multifunctional approach for deep tissue imaging and targeted cancer treatment.
- The combination of UCNPs and Au NCs overcomes the penetration depth limitations of conventional PDT.
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