Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs): A Next-Generation Drug Delivery Platform

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as a promising drug delivery platform due to their high biocompatibility, tunable surface chemistry, and unique optical and electronic properties. These features make AuNPs an ideal carrier for targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and cancer immunotherapy.  

Litchlab has developed a cutting-edge AuNP-based drug delivery platform, leveraging advanced nanomaterial design, surface modification, and biomedical engineering to provide high-efficiency, low-toxicity, and precisely controlled delivery solutions for small-molecule drugs, protein/antibody therapeutics, siRNA/mRNA drugs, and vaccines.  

Core Advantages of Litchlab’s Gold Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Platform  

1. Targeted Drug Delivery for Enhanced Efficacy  

Litchlab engineers AuNP surfaces with targeting ligands (antibodies, aptamers, peptides, glycoproteins) to achieve active targeting, thereby improving therapeutic selectivity and minimizing off-target effects.  

Tumor Targeting  

Functionalized AuNPs bind to tumor-specific receptors (EGFR, HER2, PSMA) to enable selective anticancer drug delivery (e.g., paclitaxel, doxorubicin).  Leveraging the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, AuNPs accumulate in tumor tissues, increasing drug bioavailability.

Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) for Neurological Diseases  

Glucose, chitosan, or transferrin receptor ligands facilitate AuNP-based delivery of therapeutics for glioblastoma, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.  

Immune Cell Targeting for Cancer Immunotherapy  

Functionalized AuNPs carry PD-L1/CD47 inhibitors to enhance immune recognition of cancer cells. AuNPs loaded with CpG oligonucleotides (TLR agonists) activate dendritic cells (DCs) and boost tumor immunity.  

2. High Drug Loading & Controlled Release  

Litchlab employs covalent conjugation and non-covalent adsorption to maximize drug payload and optimize release kinetics.  

Small Molecule Drug Delivery  

AuNPs encapsulate hydrophobic drugs (e.g., doxorubicin, cisplatin, paclitaxel) via hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic adsorption, and covalent bonding. pH-/enzyme-/temperature-responsive release mechanisms enable site-specific drug release, improving therapeutic efficiency while reducing toxicity.  

Gene Therapy with siRNA/mRNA Delivery  

Cationic polymer-modified AuNPs (PEI, PEG-PLL) stabilize negatively charged siRNA, mRNA, and ASOs, enhancing delivery efficiency. AuNPs protect nucleic acids from enzymatic degradation, improving in vivo stability.  

Protein/Antibody Delivery  

Gold-thiol (Au-S) bonding and His-Tag/Fc fragment interactions enable stable conjugation of therapeutic proteins and antibodies, enhancing bioavailability.  

3. Photothermal & Photodynamic Therapy Synergy with Chemotherapy  

AuNPs possess a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, making them highly effective in photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT).  

Photothermal Therapy (PTT)  

Upon near-infrared (NIR, 650-900 nm) laser exposure, AuNPs convert light into heat, selectively destroying tumor cells. Litchlab optimizes particle shape (spherical, rod, star), size (10-200 nm), and SPR absorption peak to maximize PTT efficiency.  

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)  

Photosensitizers (chlorophyll derivatives, porphyrins, rose bengal) conjugated to AuNPs generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under NIR irradiation, inducing cancer cell apoptosis.  

PTT/PDT + Chemotherapy Combination Therapy  

AuNPs co-deliver chemotherapeutic agents + PTT/PDT molecules, improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing drug resistance.  

Accelerating Clinical Translation with Litchlab’s AuNP Delivery Solutions  

Litchlab offers an end-to-end AuNP-based drug delivery solution, from nanomaterial design → delivery optimization → scale-up production → GMP manufacturing, to accelerate clinical development.  

Learn more about Litchlab’s gold nanoparticle drug delivery platform , please feel free to contact us at:  

E-Mail:RD2@Litchlab.com