Conxita Solans, Scientific Director of Unit 12 of NANBIOSIS together with researchers of her group, Colloidal and Interfacial Chemistry of CIBER-BBN and IQAC-CSIC and the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of BarcelonaIn have published the research paper “Versatile Methodology to Encapsulate Gold Nanoparticles in PLGA Nanoparticles Obtained by Nano-Emulsion Templating” in the journal Pharmaceutical Research. The scientists have shown that a novel and very versatile methodology has been developed for the production of polymeric nanoparticles loaded with gold nanoparticles.
In this work, gold-nanoparticles (AuNP) have been encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles using a novel and versatile methodology based on nano-emulsion templating, which has allowed to encapsulate high concentrations of gold nanoparticles (> 100 pM). Polymeric nanoparticles loaded with AuNP with sizes lower than 100 nm have been obtained using this methodology. In addition, a safe and easy methodology for the phase transfer of gold nanoparticles from aqueous to organic solvents has been developed. The biocompatibility of the designed nanoparticles with both cultured cells and erythrocytes has confirmed their suitability to be intravenously administered Therefore, these nanoparticles represent novel advanced imaging systems for biomedical applications.