Gold nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been investigated and show promising application in biomedical applications owing to their reduced systemic toxicity, rapid clearance, improved tumor accumulation, and easy modification. AuNPs have great potential applications in cancer therapy and treatment. This chapter summarizes the various methods of AuNP synthesis and the different techniques and methods of AuNP characterization. Afterward, the techniques for regulating the surface functionalization and size of AuNPs were delineated to make them appropriate for cancer therapy and diagnosis. Specifically, the applications of AuNPs in cancer immunotherapy, photothermal therapy and chemotherapy have been investigated. Furthermore, the applications of AuNPs in tumor radiotherapy and gene therapy have been highlighted. In this chapter, the effects of the size and shape of nanoparticles on the trafficking of NPs into organs and tissues have been discussed. Afterward, the application of AuNPs in magnetic resonance imaging photoacoustic as well as X-ray scatter imaging is reviewed in detail.