Surface modification of gold-silica nanoshells for cancer therapy

PHYS 212

Sandra Whaley Bishnoi, bishnoi@iit.edu and Yu-Jen Lin, ylin31@iit.edu. Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 S. Dearborn St., Life Sciences Bldg. 148B, Chicago, IL 60616
Several groups have demonstrated the promise of using gold materials in the area of cancer therapy. More specifically, the tunable surface plasmons of gold-silica nanoshells in the near-IR region of the spectrum, considered by biologists as the “water window,” can allow for localized heating in a tumor containing nanoshells without damaging surrounding tissue. To allow more efficient delivery of nanoshells in vivo, we are pursuing various surface modification strategies for gold nanomaterials, including the use of bifunctional gold-binding peptides and thiolated folic acid molecules. An overview of nanoshell modification strategies and synthetic techniques will be given along with the use of fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering for the quantification and characterization of various species on the gold-nanoshell surface. The application of these modification techniques to cancer therapy will also be discussed.