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Review
. 2017 May 22;22(5):857.
doi: 10.3390/molecules22050857.

Applications of Gold Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine: Recent Advances in Vaccines

Sónia Alexandra Correia Carabineiro  1
Affiliations
Review

Applications of Gold Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine: Recent Advances in Vaccines

Sónia Alexandra Correia Carabineiro. Molecules. .

Abstract

Nowadays, gold is used in (nano-)medicine, usually in the form of nanoparticles, due to the solid proofs given of its therapeutic effects on several diseases. Gold also plays an important role in the vaccine field as an adjuvant and a carrier, reducing toxicity, enhancing immunogenic activity, and providing stability in storage. An even brighter golden future is expected for gold applications in this area.

Keywords: AIDS; cancer; gold nanoparticles; hepatitis B; nanomedicine; vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the review; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of literature; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transmission electron microscopy images (a,b) of gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution (obtained in a Leo 906 E apparatus at 100 kV).
Figure 2
Figure 2
A vaccine in action: the introduction of an antigen of a pathogen in blood stream (left) stimulates the production of antibodies against the pathogen (middle); so that in case of infection by the actual pathogen (right); the immune system is ready to fight the disease (adapted and redrawn from Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Education and Research).
Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Synthesis of biopolymer-inspired gold nanoparticles reported by Saha et al. (adapted and redrawn from [47]).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Applications of gold nanoparticles in cancer immunotherapy (adapted and redrawn from [87]).
Figure 4
Figure 4
HIV virus structure anatomy (from Health Medicine, adapted and redrawn from http://www.clipartkid.com/hiv-cliparts/).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison of viruses from the different types of hepatitis (adapted and redrawn from http://www.123rf.com/profile_alila).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Anatomy of the flu virus (adapted and redrawn from http://www.euroclinix.net).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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