Ionic liquid-coated gold core polymeric nanoparticles for selective neutrophil hitchhiking towards endometriosis treatment

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory gynecological condition that affects millions of women and people with uteri globally, with limited available treatments. In this work, we explore using ionic liquid (IL)-coated gold core polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), Au-PLGA-IL NPs, for selective neutrophil co-localization for the eventual development of targeted treatment of endometriosis via photothermal therapy. These NPs were synthesized by a modified solvent evaporation method and functionalized with ILs that confer neutrophil selectivity. In vitro biocompatibility was demonstrated using endometrial 12Z cells and a hemolysis assay with human female blood. Ex vivo studies confirmed superior neutrophil targeting ability in human female whole blood, quantified using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to visualize the NP co-localization. Upon near-infrared irradiation (1 W/cm², 5 min), the Au-PLGA-IL NPs induced significant apoptosis in 12Z cells through localized hyperthermia. This study introduces the first system integrating the plasmonic properties of AuNPs with PLGA's biocompatibility, enhanced by functional versatility of ILs, providing a promising platform for endometriosis treatment.