Regulatory Mechanism of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Based on Gold Nanoparticles-Coated Paclitaxel Nanoliposomes and Their Antitumor Efficacy

To functionalize the advanced controlled drug delivery systems, gold nanomaterials have been explored as photothermal therapy agents owing to their tunable and strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). As the major tissue chromophores are barely absorptive in the near-infrared (NIR) region (650-900 nm), it is becoming particularly important to regulate the LSPR absorption of gold nanomaterials to the NIR region to minimize the absorption. The main factors for the LSPR absorption of nanomaterials, which decides the photothermal effects, drug release, and antitumor efficacy of gold based drug carriers, include morphology, size, and dielectric constant of surrounding mediums. Herein, gold nanoparticles-coated paclitaxel nanoliposomes (PTX-Lips@AuNPs) with various morphologies, sizes, and dielectric constant of surrounding mediums were synthesized. We studied the regulatory mechanism of LSPR absorption and their antitumor efficacy. The results showed that the branched gold nanoshells-coated paclitaxel nanoliposomes (PTX-Lips@ BGNs) with a big size (about 150 nm) in the medium of NaCl solution exhibit optimal antitumor efficacy among different parameters we have studied. Furthermore, the investigation of the regulatory mechanism endows a synthetic theoretical basis of the nanomaterials in the future.