Delivery of smaller gold nanoparticles by liposomal incorporation

Recent progress in gold nanoparticle (Au NP) based systems in cancer imaging and therapeutic has motivated development of a liposome-based system to enhance delivery of smaller NPs to cells. Our studies have shown that liposomal delivery resulted in an enhancement in the cellular uptake of the small Au NPs. Real-time intracellular tracking of the AuNP-liposomes revealed an average speed of 12.48 ± 3.12 μm/hr and diffusion coefficient of 5.1 ± 2.1 μm²/hr for their intracellular transport. Analysis of the time-dependent intracellular spatial distribution of the Au NP-liposomes demonstrated that they reside in lysosomes (final degrading organelles) within 40 minutes of incubation. Knowledge gained in these studies opens the door to pursuing liposomes as a viable strategy for delivery of Au NPs for applications in imaging and radiation therapy.