Development of gold nanorod synthesis directed by peptide self-assembled nanostructures

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K05854
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: Ryukoku University
• Principal Investigator: Tomizaki Kin-ya 龍谷大学, 理工学部, 教授 (90397026)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 金ナノロッド / ペプチド / フォトサーマル療法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Gold nanorods are potential for absorbing near-IR light of a specific wavelength derived from surface plasmon resonance and efficiently converting light into heat. Thus, it is promised to apply to photothermal cancer treatment. Curremtly, CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) is used as a template molecule in the conventional synthetic methods of gold nanorods. However, CTAB itself is cytotoxic, it is necessary to remove CTAB for biological use. In this study, peptides having a fatty acid mimicking CTAB were synthesized (C11-R : undecanoyl-Arg-NH2 and C8-GR : octanoyl-Gly-Arg-NH2), and employed to synthesize gold nanorods. It was found that gold nanorods were synthesized by mixing the peptides and CTAB at ratios of 1%, 5%, and 10% peptide to CTAB. With increasing peptide concentration, the aspect ratio of the gold nano rods decreased. These results suggest that the 10% of CTAB could be replaced with such peptides in the present method and contribute to reduce cytotoxicity.

Free Research Field

生体機能関連化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は、我々の体内にも存在するペプチドを用いて金ナノロッドの合成を行い、得られた金ナノロッドが示す近赤外光を熱に変換する特性を利用するガン治療法の拡大へと繋ぐことができるものである。具体的には、①金ナノ結晶合成において、特殊な製造装置を必要とせず、低エネルギー、低毒性にて試薬合成が可能となる、②皮膚透過性の高い近赤外光を利用することで、皮膚組織近傍のガン治療等におけるフォトサーマル療法への応用が期待できる、③生物が行うバイオミネラリゼーションメカニズム解明のための生物学的モデル構築を行うことができる、に大きく寄与する。