N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Gold(I) Complexes Conjugated to a Leukemia‐Specific DNA Aptamer for Targeted Drug Delivery

Abstract This report describes the synthesis and characterization of novel N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–gold(I) complexes and their bioconjugation to the CCRF‐CEM‐leukemia‐specific aptamer sgc8c. Successful bioconjugation was confirmed by the use of fluorescent tags on both the NHC–Au I complex and the aptamer. Cell‐viability assays indicated that the NHC–Au I –aptamer conjugate was more cytotoxic than the NHC–gold complex alone. A combination of flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and cell‐viability assays provided clear evidence that the NHC–Au I –aptamer conjugate was selective for targeted CCRF‐CEM leukemia cells.