Harnessing Synthetic Strategies for Enhanced Gold Nanoparticle Functionality in Cancer Treatment

Customized nanoparticles are being used to treat cancer, improve patient outcomes, and reduce mortality. Due to their unique and multifaceted properties, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have emerged as promising candidates for cancer treatment. This review discussed the advances in synthesizing GNPs to leverage their versatility and functionalization for targeted cancer therapy. We discuss advances in the chemical, physical, and biological preparation methods of GNPs, which provide numerous opportunities to improve cancer therapy. Specifically, biosynthesis strategies using natural products, such as plant extracts, yield more stable GNPs with superior morphological control. GNPs are effective in cancer therapy as drug carriers conjugated with chemotherapeutic drugs. We explored the pivotal role of gold nanocarriers in delivering drugs to tumor sites, their application in gene therapy via nucleic acid delivery, and their use in transporting photosensitizing agents to tumor sites for photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and radiofrequency therapy. Surface-functionalized GNPs are powerful tools for targeted therapy, enabling precise manipulation of angiogenic pathways. This review highlights the therapeutic utility of synthetic advances to maximize GNPs in clinical cancer treatment, emphasizing their multifaceted role in targeted drug delivery and modulation of angiogenesis.