Cancer cells assemble and align gold nanorods conjugated to antibodies to produce highly enhanced, sharp, and polarized surface Raman spectra: A potential cancer diagnostic marker

TitleCancer cells assemble and align gold nanorods conjugated to antibodies to produce highly enhanced, sharp, and polarized surface Raman spectra: A potential cancer diagnostic marker
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsHuang, XH, El-Sayed, IH, Qian, W, EL-Sayed, MA
JournalNano Letters
Volume7
Pagination1591-1597
Date PublishedJun
ISBN Number1530-6984
Accession NumberWOS:000247186800029
Abstract

Human oral cancer cells are found to assemble and align gold nanorods conjugated to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) antibodies. Immnoconjugated gold nanorods and nanospheres were shown previously to exhibit strong Rayleigh (Mie) scattering useful for imaging. In the present letter, molecules near the nanorods on the cancer cells are found to give a Raman spectrum that is greatly enhanced (due to the high surface plasmon field of the nanorod assembly in which their extended surface plasmon fields overlap), sharp (due to a homogeneous environment), and polarized (due to anisotropic alignments). These observed properties can be used as diagnostic signatures for cancer cells.

DOI10.1021/nl070472c