Cancer Cell Growth in the Near Infrared Region by Using Silica Coated Gold Nanorods

Abstract

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been considered as suitable materials for diverse biomedical applications in controlling cell behaviors. The nanoisland system with well-dispersed silica coated Au nanorods (Si-AuNRs) was used to demonstrate the enhanced cell growth of normal and cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 mammalian breast cancer cells) from the induced expressions of the heat shock proteins (HSPs). The over-expressions of HSP could help in protein folding in cell proliferations and growths of both the normal and cancer cells. In the current study, interesting mechanisms of cancer cell growth with Si-AuNRs than the conventional systems, such as incubator, would be presented. We believe that the growth of cancer cells in near infrared (NIR) region using Si-AuNRs induced the activities of HSPs, which could help the protein folding in cell growth and survival in comparison to the cells grown in the incubator only. The cell growth enhancing technology could be expanded in diverse applications in cell culture systems.