A First Report of Docosahexaenoic Acid‐Clocked Polymer Enveloped Gold Nanoparticles: A Way to Precision Breast Cancer and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy and Its Apoptosis Induction

ABSTRACT Functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are extensively utilized in various disciplines due to their excellent bioactivity, biocompatibility, and extended drug half‐life, influenced by the ligands and size that are changed on surfaces. In this study, we successfully fabricated GNPs coated with ligands containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) clocked by a carboxyl group. These nanoparticles are referred to as MPA@GNPs‐PEG‐DHA. The cytotoxicity results demonstrate that MPA@GNPs‐PEG‐DHA exhibits superior cell selectivity, explicitly inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancerous cells than noncancerous cell lines. Apoptosis is involved in the reduction of cell proliferation by MPA@GNPs‐PEG‐DHA, as demonstrated clearly through many assays measuring apoptotic index, including AO/EB staining, DAPI, annexin V‐FITC staining, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement. The efficacy of MPA@GNPs‐PEG‐DHA in inducing apoptosis was demonstrated by its inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction by ROS. MPA@GNPs‐PEG‐DHA has the potential to improve the induction of apoptosis in breast cancerous cells.