Synthesis and Application of AS1411-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles for Targeted Therapy of Gastric Cancer

[Image: see text] Gastric cancer therapy is still a big challenge, and nanomedicines bring much more hope. It is essential to develop multifunctional nanoparticles, especially those with high targeted capacity and antitumor effects, to improve gastric cancer therapy. In this study, we constructed AS1411 aptamer-based gold nanoparticles with appropriate size facilitating endocytosis and actively targeted drug delivery for gastric cancer cells via the specific AS1411–nucleolin interaction. The AS1411-based nanoparticles showed obviously increased targeted capacity towards AGS cells compared to random ssDNA-based nanoparticles. Meanwhile, compared to L929 cells, the AS1411-based nanoparticles showed selective drug uptake and delivery for AGS cells. Importantly, the AS1411-based nanoparticles exhibited significantly stronger antitumor effects on AGS cells under laser irradiation compared to chemotherapy alone. Our nanoparticles combined targeted drug delivery and efficient antitumor effects within one single nanoplatform, which are promising to be applied as targeted nanomedicines against gastric cancer.