Role of Gold Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery

The possibility of using nanotechnology to diagnose or treat diseases is growing. New and improved nanomaterials are now being used in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications because of advancements in nanotechnology. Creating and targeting sure systems still requires work today, despite recent advances, to be therapeutically valuable. Due to their high thermal stability and low size-to-volume ratio, metal nanoparticles are widely used in biological sectors. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are an appropriate choice for biomedical applications owing to ease of synthesis, stability, customization, low toxicity, and simplicity in identification. AuNPs can potentially be used in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases for medical imaging, drug delivery, and cancer therapy. The synthesis of AuNPs has been carried out using various chemical techniques over the past few decades. However, more recently, emphasis has been drawn to more contemporary environmentally friendly green technologies. Numerous functionalizing moieties, such as ligands, medicinal substances, DNA, amino acids, proteins, peptides, and oligonucleotides, can be coupled to AuNPs. Recent research suggests that AuNPs can be valuable drug carriers since they penetrate blood arteries to reach the target and enter within organelles. The latest developments in various AuNP synthesis techniques are the main topic of this chapter. Additionally, AuNPs functionalization techniques and application mechanisms in transporting pharmaceuticals and macromolecules. The chapter aims to explain the relationship between these nanomaterials in the complex environment to reach the target site and how to formulate the efficient, targeted drug delivery for complicated settings and constantly observe the toxicity on the rationale for designing such delivery complexes. This chapter will provide information on the research, potential, and limitations of developing nanoparticles.