Gold nanoparticles are promising drug delivery agents with the potential to deliver chemotherapeutic agents to tumour sites. The highly cytotoxic maytansinoid tubulin inhibitor DM1 has been attached to gold nanoparticles and shows tumour growth inhibition in mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma. Attempting to improve the stability of the gold-cytotoxin bond led to the design and synthesis of novel maytansinoids with improved potency in cell viability assays and improved in vivo tolerability compared to the DM1 analogues. These novel maytansines may also have applications in other methods of drug delivery, for example as the cytotoxic component of antibody drug conjugates.

金纳米颗粒是有前途的药物递送剂，具有将化学治疗剂递送到肿瘤部位的潜力。具有高度细胞毒性的美登木素生物碱微管蛋白抑制剂DM1已附着在金纳米颗粒上，在肝细胞癌的小鼠模型中显示出肿瘤生长抑制作用。试图改善金-细胞毒素键的稳定性导致了新的美登木素生物碱的设计和合成，与DM1类似物相比，该美登木素生物碱在细胞生存力测定中具有更高的效力，并且在体内具有更高的耐受性。这些新颖的美登素也可以在其他药物递送方法中具有应用，例如作为抗体药物缀合物的细胞毒性成分。