Improved biostability of gold nanostars for enhanced intercellular interactions

Abstract

Gold nanostars (AuNS) have emerged as promising platforms for biosensing, bioimaging, and therapeutic applications due to their strong plasmonic enhancement and tunable optical properties. However, their applications are hindered by stability issues in complex biological environments, affecting their interactions with biomolecules and cells. To address this challenge, we employ advanced characterization techniques, including surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to track the stability and intracellular fate of AuNS. We found that AuNS functionalized with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, acting as SERS nanotags, exhibit exceptional biostability in cell culture media, both uncoated and precoated with bovine serum albumin (BSA). High-resolution 2D and 3D SERS imaging revealed cell-type-dependent uptake, with immune cells displaying greater internalization than cancer cells, while protein precoating had minimal influence. Cytocompatibility assays confirmed low toxicity and suitability of AuNS for biological applications. Our findings highlight the potential of improved biostability of AuNS for precise intracellular probing, paving the way for advanced nanoparticle-based applications that would enable spatially resolved biomolecular analysis in live cells.