Gold and Silver Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy, Imaging, and Diagnostic Sensing
This community develops metallic nanomaterials, primarily gold and silver, to treat cancer through light-activated therapies and to deliver drugs to specific tissues, while also creating high-sensitivity sensors for detecting biological markers.
The work centers on synthesizing gold nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanoclusters, alongside silver nanoparticles and mesoporous silica structures. These materials are engineered for photodynamic and photothermal therapy, where light energy is converted to heat or reactive oxygen species to destroy cancer cells. A significant portion of the research applies surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to amplify optical signals for imaging and detection. The community also focuses on targeted drug delivery systems, including lateral flow assays and extracellular vesicles, to improve the precision of treatments for breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.
The largest share of this community’s output is found in gold research, accounting for 29.0% of all gold research, with 24,857 papers in this group. Silver research contributes 7.8% of its total output, and platinum research contributes 1.9%.
The community comprises 91,149 papers, publishing most frequently in Langmuir, ACS Nano, and Analytical Chemistry.
Recent work includes reviews on advanced formulation strategies for nanoparticle-based drug delivery, the modulation of tumor microenvironments using smart inorganic nanomaterials, and the use of engineered exosomes for targeted genetic medicine in pancreatic cancer.