ABSTRACT
Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been applied in the therapy due to their advantageous optical, chemical, and catalytic characteristics. They can be synthesized by various methods, resulting in different final products. GNPs have been used to promote drug delivery through passive and active targeting. Many ligands, such as antibodies, small molecules, and peptides, have been conjugated to the surface of GNPs aiming at rapid cellular uptake and improved efficacy and selectivity. For this propose, those ligands can be attached to GNP surface by physical adsorption or covalent coupling. Besides, GNPs can be designed to respond to different stimuli, both intrinsic and extrinsic, and thus deliver the drug to the target site. Then, these NPs 256will be activated by one or more specific triggers from inner or outer body, releasing its content in the target. Therefore, GNPs are versatile drug delivery systems. In this context, the present chapter aims to present and discuss some aspects of GNP development and its use in the drug delivery field. For this, we will first describe different types of GNPs, their production methods, and characterization. Then, the different functionalization options, using small molecules or macromolecules will be discussed. Finally, the stimuli-responsive GNPs will be discussed.
