(368g) Protein Templated Core/Shell Nanostructures for Photothermal Therapy and SERS Mediated Intracellular ROS Detection | AIChE

(368g) Protein Templated Core/Shell Nanostructures for Photothermal Therapy and SERS Mediated Intracellular ROS Detection

Authors 

Anik, M. I., University of Rhode Island
Jakaria, M. G., University of Rhode Island
Meenach, S., University of Rhode Island
Bothun, G. D., North Carolina A&T State University
Core/shell gold ‘raspberry’ nanostructures capable of multiple therapeutic functionalities were synthesized using a template comprised of monodispersed anionic protein (bovine serum albumin) nanoparticles coated with a cationic biopolymer (poly-L-lysine). The nanostructures exhibited high photothermal conversion efficiency when exposed to near-infrared (NIR) laser which led to significant cellular inhibition of A549 human lung cancer cells due to intracellular hyperthermia. The raspberry structures also provided hotspots for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) ratiometric sensing of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) when modified with the Raman reporter molecule 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP). ROS was detected in A549 lung cancer cells upon photothermal heating of internalized nanostructures, enabling a possible mechanism for feedback on therapeutic efficacy. This was confirmed by adding the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and using a complimentary fluorescence technique, which showed that the amount of detectable intracellular ROS decreased. These safe-by-design gold raspberry nanostructures could be promising for simultaneous therapeutic applications and monitoring therapeutic efficacy.