PDA/gold nanorod-based nanoparticles for synergistic genetic and photothermal combination therapy for cancer treatment

A series of new nanobiotechnology-based methods have been developed toward achieving safe and efficient cancer treatment. Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have attracted increasing attention owing to their unique optical characteristics, good biocompatibility, and low toxicity, and they have thus been widely used in tumor treatment. In this study, an AuNR-based system was designed by attaching microRNA-192 (miR-192) to polydopamine-coated AuNRs (AuNR@PDA) to explore the possibility of combining genetic and photothermal therapies. RNA/AuNR@PDA exhibited an excellent thermal conversion efficiency under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation and excellent biocompatibility. Thus, photothermal therapy (PTT) was combined with gene therapy, which was effected by miR-192, a genetic drug that inhibits cancer cell growth. The combinatory treatment approach entailing the AuNRs-based drug carrier system exhibited encouraging antitumor efficacy.