1. GOLD NANOPARTICLES: A POSSIBLE CURE FOR PANCREATIC CANCER
Erin Cannon, Madeleine Braun, and julia mcKay

2. Why Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer cells can spread through the lymph nodes. The cancer cells grow and form into secondary tumors that can wrap around major organs and vessels.
Ideally, the tumors would be removed surgically, but often they are too extensive
Large portions of pancreas must be removed
Symptoms appear in the later stages
Limited test options
Hereditary nature

3. The Problems with Chemotherapy and Radiation
Low solubility
Poor travel ability
No effective target specification
Kills healthy cells
Invasive

4. What is Targeted Drug Delivery?
An increase in concentration of drug in desired area while limiting it in other regions of the body
Nanotechnology, including nanoparticles, are used as the vector of delivery
Drug delivery systems account for fluctuating pH, temperature, and other chemical interactions
High efficiency in treatment with fewer effects on unaffected areas of the body

5. Basic Properties of AuNPs
Elemental gold:
Conductor
bio-compatible
good surface chemistry
Spherical Nanoparticles: high surface area to volume ratio
Multimodal

6. Synthesis and Makeup of AuNPs
Inogranic Core:
Gold salt reduced
in presence of stabilizing agent
- Controls the physical behavior of the nanoparticle
Organic Monolayer:
-proteins and bio-molecules conjugated through favorable electrostatic reactions
-drug attached to the surface of the particle with a ligand

7. The role of ligands in drug delivery
Attach to a metal ion using coordinate bonding
Covalent or non-covalent
Bond occurs between functional groups and ligand
Factors affecting the performance of ligands
Binding affinity
Surface density
Half-Life

8. Drug Carriers to Tumor Sites
Can be taken in orally or intravenously
Occurs on different Levels: Specific Organs / Bodily
Systems, Tissues, Specific Cells
Chemotherapeutics delivered into cells to minimize
effect on healthy cells
Actively and Passively Targeted

9. Enhanced Permeability and Retention
Due to characteristics of tumor vasculature itself
Easy to permeate tissue at the site of angiogenesis
Leaky vasculature, lack of lymphatic drainage, improper formation of vessels make is easy for nanoparticles to enter the tissue
Nanoparticles become concentrated due to gaps
Based on geometry of particle rather then chemical modification
Passive

10. Surface Functionalization
Targeting not possible without it
Active form of targeting
Commonly centered around tracking the Epidermal Growth Factor gene
Surface coated with full/ fragments of antibodies
Can also be coated with anti-EGFR peptides
Ligand used to attach chemotherapeutic

11. Receptor Mediated Endocytosis
The final step of delivery
Surface groups of nanoparticle bind with those of cellular surface
Cell engulfs many nanoparticles
Bonds weak within cytoplasm and break
Drug released and triggers apoptosis
50 nm diameter

12. Surface Plasmon Resonance
Limited frequencies induce resonant conduction and lead to extinction (combination of absorption and scattering)
Frequency at which maximum electron oscillation occurs
Strong EM fields on the surface

13. Imaging of Cancerous Cells
Nanoparticles act as “labels” on pancreatic cancer cells
Limited frequencies induce resonant conduction and lead to extinction (combination of absorption and scattering)
Darkfield Microscopy used to detect the AuNP labels

14. Photothermal Therapy Light at certain wavelength excites cells
Energy loss through heat release
Triggers hyperthermia in the tissue
Cells 3-6 degrees Celsius higher than they should be
Can kill cells or lead them to being more susceptible to death by other methods

15. Theoretical Process 2. Hyperthermia triggered
1. AuNPs permeate cancerous tissue (EPR and Active Targeting)
2. Hyperthermia triggered
3. Nanoparticles invade cells (Endocytosis)
4. Drug Release
5. Imaging of area treated

16. Technical Issues With AuNPs
Aggregation
Build up of particles in unwanted areas
Prevented through modification of the monolayer
Differences in Size
The major benefit of AuNPs over other options is that they are multimodal
Size affects Quantum Mechanics
Drug Delivery
Imaging of Cells
Photothermal Therapy

17. Cytotoxicity: Concern for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Nanoparticles remain within body post- treatment
Could potentially cause harm to healthy cells within the body
Molecular reaction with fluids within body
Many experiments in process, very few long-term ones completely
No clear answer yet

18. What other Nanoparticles are Being Researched?
Polymeric Nanoparticles
Made from complex, naturally synthesized molecules known as polymers
Biocompatible, bio-degradable, cost-effective, versatile in composition
Surface functionalized
Disadvantages
Batch-to-batch is hard to recreate
Antigens can label it
Need specific conditions
Not multimodal

19. Conclusion
Gold nanoparticles have the potential to revolutionize pancreatic cancer treatment
Multimodal function
Imaging
Drug delivery
Photo-Thermal Therapy
Improve the quality of life and life expectancy for patients
Future direction