Novel Gold Nanoparticle Technique Introduction to Study the Small Molecule Drug Dynamics in Real Time

Release Date: 10-Nov-2020

A group of researchers from Osaka University, in collaboration with RIKEN have developed a Raman microscopy-based approach in order to visualizing small-molecule drugs that uses gold nanoparticles. In the therapeutics sector, small drug molecules are tagged with fluorescent probes so that are they visible when illuminated. Afterwards, microscopy technique could be used to observe such drug molecules in real time. It has been reported fluorescent molecules being bulky can affect the way of the drug behavior which could eventually alter the functioning of the drugs.

But there is one particular alternative to such bulky fluorescent probes i.e. smaller tag known as an alkyne which are composed of carbon-carbon triple bonds. Carbon-carbon triple bonds are also believed to act as biomarkers as they are not found in nature. Also, these alkynes are found to have no impact on the overall behaviour of the small molecules. Alkynes are estimated to be producing Raman signal. In this respective study, researchers have combined the biomarker i.e. alkyne with gold nanoparticles so that electric fields could be enhanced, making the alkyne groups easier to detect than before. This innovative technique developed by the researchers is estimated to be exciting for understanding the drug dynamics in real time so that the toxicities related with the drug could be altered.