A comprehensive review of cancer therapies mediated by conjugated gold nanoparticles with nucleic acid

Nucleic acids provide a promising therapeutic platform by targeting various cell signaling pathways involved in cancer and genetic disorders. However, maintaining optimal stability during delivery limits their utility. Nucleic acid delivery vehicles are generally categorized into biological and synthetic carriers. Regardless of the efficiency of biological vectors, such as viral vectors, issues related to their immunogenicity and carcinogenesis are very important and vital for clinical applications. On the other hand, synthetic vectors such as lipids or polymers, have been widely used for nucleic acid delivery. Despite their transfection efficiency, low storage stability, targeting inefficiency, and tracking limitations are among the limitations of the clinical application of these vectors. In the past decades, gold nanoparticles with unique properties have been shown to be highly efficient mineral vectors for overcoming these obstacles. In this review, we focus on gold nanoparticle-nucleic acid combinations and highlight their use in the treatment of various types of cancers. Furthermore, by stating the biological applications of these structures, we will discuss their clinical applications.