<i>In Vivo</i> Evaluation of Multifunctional Gold Nanorods for Boron Neutron Capture and Photothermal Therapies
Krishna R. Pulagam, Malou Henriksen‐Lacey, Kepa B. Uribe, Carlos Renero‐Lecuna, Jatish Kumar, Alexandra Charalampopoulou, Angelica Facoetti, Nicoletta Protti, Vanessa Gómez‐Vallejo, Zuriñe Baz, Vished Kumar, Ana Sánchez‐Iglesias, S. Altieri, Unai Cossío, Desirè Di Silvio, Ángel M. Martínez-Villacorta, Ane Ruiz‐de‐Angulo, Luka Rejc, Luis M. Liz‐Marzán, Jordi Llop
Abstract
Cu-labeled multifunctionalized AuNRs proved to be radiochemically stable and capable of being accumulated in the tumor after intravenous administration in a mouse xenograft model of gastrointestinal cancer. The resulting multifunctional AuNRs showed high biocompatibility and the capacity to induce local heating under external stimulation and trigger cell death in heterogeneous cancer spheroids as well as the capacity to decrease cell viability under neutron irradiation in cancer cells. These results position our nanoconjugates as suitable candidates for combined BNCT/PTT therapies.