Intracellular host–guest assembly of gold nanoparticles triggered by glutathione

Abstract

A simple method to achieve host–guest assembly of gold nanoparticles triggered by intracellular glutathione was demonstrated. The increased size of nanoparticles not only enhanced their retention time within cancer cells, but also induced apoptosis. This strategy may open an avenue for the development of smart nanocarriers for intracellular diagnosis and therapy.