Therapeutic Effects of Concanavalin A-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles on Lung Cancer in Mice

• Main Authors: Kuo-Huang Li, 李國煌
• Other Authors: Chao-Liang Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/97991031052871444442

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 生物化學研究所 === 97 === This study provides a novel platform for Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as agents of target-specific delivery therapy. AuNP exploit their unique chemical and physical properties for transporting and loading the pharmaceutics. AuNP conjucated with biological ligands or antibody, optical sensing, and therapeutic drug for various diseases or in cancer is popular used in biology. Concanavalin A (ConA) is a lectin isolated from jack bean. At physiological pH value and temperature, the tetramer predominates, which is stabilized by hydrogen bonds and six inter-dimer salt-bridges. Because ConA has high affinity to α-D-glucose and α-D-mannose, it can bind to the carbohydrate moiety of glycoconjuates on the cellular membranes. On the other hand, ConA has been associated with a variety of biological effects including mitogenesis and cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. In this study, I developed a formulation of ConA bound to the gold nanoparticle (ConA–AuNP) complex and examined its therapeutic effects on cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. ConA–AuNP complex showed higher cytotoxic effects on mouse lewis lung carcinoma cells (LL2) compared with an equal dose of Free ConA. These results suggest that ConA–AuNP complex may be more effective than free ConA for cancer treatment.