Gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods in the landscape of cancer therapy

Cancer is a grievous disease whose treatment requires a more efficient, non-invasive therapy, associated with minimal side effects. Gold nanoparticles possessing greatly impressive optical properties have been a forerunner in bioengineered cancer therapy. This theranostic system has gained immense popularity and finds its application in the field of molecular detection, biological imaging, cancer cell targeting, etc. The photothermal property of nanoparticles, especially of gold nanorods, causes absorption of the light incident by the light source, and transforms it into heat, resulting in tumor cell destruction. This review describes the different optical features of gold nanoparticles and summarizes the advance research done for the application of gold nanoparticles and precisely gold nanorods for combating various cancers including breast, lung, colon, oral, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.

Automated summary

Cancer is a devastating disease, and more efficient, non-invasive therapies with minimal side effects are needed. Gold nanoparticles with impressive optical properties have been at the forefront of bioengineered cancer therapy. This review discusses the optical features of gold nanoparticles and highlights the recent research on their application, especially gold nanorods, in combating various cancers such as breast, lung, colon, oral, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.