Gold nanoparticles (NPs) are promising for cancer therapy due to their versatile properties. However, their interactions with cells vary, affecting reproducibility and application. To optimise this, Dr Andy Tay Kah Ping from N2CR and his team, implemented a DNA barcoding system to label NPs of different shapes (sphere, rod, triangle) and sizes (40 nm, 80 nm). Barcodes remained attached and didn’t interfere with cell interactions. Results showed that sphere NPs had poor in vitro uptake but good in vivo targeting, while the 80 nm nanotriangles worked well in both lab tests and in living organisms. These NPs were effective in siRNA delivery and photothermal therapy in a breast tumor model, highlighting their potential to enhance cancer treatment.

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