Monitoring the death of single BaF3 cells under plasmonic photothermal heating induced by ultrasmall gold nanorods

摘要: Gold nanorods are very suitable as energy converters for plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) applications. These particles can be accumulated on cells by targeted or non-targeted delivery and subsequently internalized the cells. Upon photoexcitation, create heat that trigger cell-death mechanisms still not fully understood. Here, we used ultrasmall gold nanorods, either functionalization with aptamer AIR-3A. This specifically binds to Interleukin-6 receptor expressed investigated BaF3 cell line. After photoexcitation of only individual cells, monitored evolution death in real time single-cell level tracking temporal development both morphology absorbance cell, which changed due uptake dye trypan blue. We observed a swelling during first few minutes, followed subsequent staining loss membrane integrity, before cellular lysis took place. As most notable difference between use blue period was considerably shorter when were used. Morphological changes after irradiation strongly suggest necrosis is induced. The delay start necrotic process beginning indicates damage initially occurs inner compartments affected.