Enhanced cytotoxicity of gold porphyrin complexes after inclusion in cyclodextrin scaffolds adsorbed on polyethyleneimine-coated gold nanoparticles

A new gold nanoparticle-based construct has been designed to hydrophobic drugs delivery into cancer cells. Cyclodextrin scaffolds adsorbed on polyethyleneimine-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNP@PEI@CD) have been used to encapsulate hydrophobic tetrapyrrolic compounds consisting of gold complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl porphyrin (AuTPPCl) and 5-(4-acetoxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenyl porphyrin (AuTPPOAcCl). These two nanoparticles have been tested for their cytotoxic activities against the two colorectal cancer cell lines HT-29 and HCT-116 and have shown significant increases in toxicity when compared to the corresponding non-vectorized tetrapyrrolic macrocycles.