Disclosed herein is a nanoconstruct comprising an aptamer and a gold nanostar. The nanoconstruct can be used in a method of inducing changes to a nuclear phenotype of a cell comprising transporting the nanoconstruct to a nucleus of a cell, and releasing the aptamer from a surface of the gold nanostar into the nucleus of the cell to afford deformations or invaginations in the nuclear membrane, thereby inducing changes to the nuclear phenotype. The method can be used to treat certain hyperproliferative disorders such as cancer.