Biogenic gold nanoparticles in breast cancer nanomedicine: sustainable synthesis, multifunctional engineering, and the road to clinical translation

The use of plant, algal, microbial or biomolecule based reducing and capping agents to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has paved the way for the use of these materials as versatile candidates for breast-cancer nanomedicine. In addition to being a more sustainable synthetic pathway, the biological elements attached to the surface of AuNP can have an impact on the formation process, the stability of AuNP in solution, the interaction with cells and the therapeutic activity of the particles. This review critically assesses the recent advances of biogenic AuNPs for application in breast cancer, ranging from direct phytogenic anticancer formulations, engineered drug delivery system, HER2 associated biosensing platform, photoresponsive therapies, and multimodal theranostic constructs. Preclinical reported mechanisms are increased cellular uptake, increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased DNA damage, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Additionally, Biogenic AuNPs offer flexible surfaces for the conjugation of chemotherapeutics, phytochemicals, nucleic acids, antibodies, photosensitizers and tumour-targeting ligands, thus providing opportunities for subtype-specific strategies for HER2-positive disease and triple-negative breast cancer. Currently however, in vitro studies dominate the evidence base, and many of these studies make use of limited models of cell lines. Although the bioinorganic nature of Biogenic AuNPs is scientifically interesting, their clinical applicability will rely on the development of reproducible synthesis procedures, characterization in biological environments, validation for the respective sub-type, quantitative biodistribution and clinically representative preclinical models.

Abstract from PubMed (PMID 42971495). This entry was added automatically by our daily literature monitor because it matches the topics we follow; read the full paper at the original source.