Progress of Mesoporous Silica Coated Gold Nanorods for Biological Imaging and Cancer Therapy

For unique surface plasmon absorption and fluorescence characteristics, gold nanorods have been developed and widely employed in the biomedical field. However, limitations still exist due their low specific surface area, instability and tendency agglomerate in cytoplasm. Mesoporous silica materials have been broadly applied in field of catalysts, adsorbents, nanoreactors, and drug carriers due to its unique mesoporous structure, highly comparative surface area, good stability and biocompatibility. Therefore, coating gold nanorods with a dendritic mesopore channels can effectively prevent particle agglomeration, while increasing the specific surface area and drug loading efficiency. This review discusses the advancements of GNR@MSN in synthetic process, bio-imaging technique and tumor therapy. Additionally, the further application of GNR@MSN in imaging-guided treatment modalities is explored, while its promising superior application prospect is highlighted. Finally, the issues related to in vivo studies are critically examined for facilitating the transition of this promising nanoplatform into clinical trials.