Gold nanorod-based smart platform for efficient cellular uptake and combination therapy.

Gold nanorods (GNRs) have received much attention as potential drug-delivery vehicles because of their various advantages such as good biocompatibility, passive targeting, responsiveness to stimuli, and easy post-functionalization by surface modification. However, the drug structure might be changed for loading into GNRs, making it difficult to load various drugs, and the space to contain drugs is small, making it difficult to deliver sufficient drugs required for treatment compared with other porous materials. Herein, we report an amphiphilic polymer-coated GNR platform for chemo- and photothermal combination therapy.

Light-Responsive Layer-By-Layer Film Containing Gold Nanorods for Sequential Drug Release.

Chemically and physically stable multidrug-loaded layer-by-layer (LbL) films are promising candidates for sequential and on-demand drug release at concentrations suitable for various applications. The synergistic effect of the sequential release of drugs may enhance their therapeutic efficacy in treating skin cancer and other complex medical conditions. In this study, we prepared LbL films by alternating the deposition of cationic linear polyethylenimine, camptothecin (CPT)-loaded gold nanorods (GNRs), anionic poly(styrenesulfonate), and doxorubicin (DOX) based on electrostatic interactions.