Colloidal gold nanoparticles: a novel nanoparticle platform for developing multifunctional tumor-targeted drug delivery vectors

Nanotechnology applied to biological problems represents an emerging field with the potential to offer extremely sensitive diagnostics and targeted cancer therapies. However, to achieve these goals, nanoparticle delivery systems must outwit the many barriers that are intrinsic to the body's defenses, as well as those that develop during the growth and progression of tumors. The science is advancing and, for example, true nanoscale tumor-targeted drug delivery vectors are now able to reduce the likelihood of opsonization in the bloodstream and uptake by the reticuloendothelial system. Other advances hold promise for delivering multiple therapeutic agents to non-homogeneous populations of cancer cells in solid tumors. We briefly summarize herein our attempts to build such multifunctional nanotherapeutics using colloidal gold nanoparticles. Specifically we discuss the development of colloidal gold-based drugs that are designed to target the delivery of TNF and paclitaxel to solid tumors. Drug Dev. Res. 67:47–54, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.