Gold nanostars coated with silica shell and biofunctionalized for photothermal therapy in lung cancer cells

• Grant number: 24/22821-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Sabrina Aléssio Camacho
• Grantee: Melissa Nishida Hirano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/17867-9 - Multifunctional approach of gold nanostructures coated with silica: combining the diagnosis of circulating cancer cells with the tumor phototherapy, AP.JP

Abstract

Human lung cancer is the leading neoplasm worldwide, driven by the increasing atmospheric pollution of our planet and the rising prevalence of smoking in the population. Although current treatments for this type of cancer are well-established, they still cause many harmful effects to patients. This highlights the urgent need for alternative therapies such as photothermal therapy (PTT), which acts non-invasively and efficiently. PTT is based on the use of a photothermal agent that, under specific wavelengths, converts photon energy into heat, causing protein denaturation and degradation of cellular structures near the locally generated heating. Gold nanoparticles stand out as excellent candidates for promoting PTT due to their high biocompatibility and photothermal efficiency. Consequently, there is a growing development of nanostructures with different shapes and chemical conjugations to achieve greater efficacy, specificity, and unique plasmonic properties. Gold nanostars (AuNSs) have a surface plasmon resonance that can be conveniently tuned to the near-infrared region, which is relevant for reaching deeper regions of human tissue. In this undergraduate research project, gold nanostars coated with silica shell (AuNSs@SiO2) will be developed and functionalized with specific biomolecules, such as antibodies targeting proteins overexpressed in certain types of carcinomas, such as the p53 protein. The nanostructures will be incorporated into in vitro cultures of lung carcinoma (A549), evaluating their cytotoxicity and phototoxicity compared to non-tumoral cells.