The use of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has been gaining traction in the arena of biomedical imaging and sensing due to their large scattering coefficient and low toxicity. The versatility of Au NPs is also enhanced by functionalizing them with various ligands. Previously, we have shown that Au NPs can be coated with a hybrid bilayer of phospholipids of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine. Here, we study the biocompatibility of these hybrid Au NPs with prostate cancer cells (PC3) and human dermal fibroblast cells (HDF). Interestingly, while studies show that hybrid Au NPs enter the cells via an endocytotic route, TEM images suggest that these Au NPs ultimately ended up in the mitochondria, causing its disruption over longer incubation times.

Gold nanoparticles in the mitochondria

245th National Meeting (2013)

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