Core-Shell Magnetic Gold Nanoparticles for Magnetic Field-Enhanced Radio-Photothermal Therapy in Cervical Cancer

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 7; no. 5; p. 111
• Main Authors: Hu, Rui, Zheng, Minxue, Wu, Jinchang, Li, Cheng, Shen, Danqing, Yang, Dian, Li, Li, Ge, Mingfeng, Chang, Zhimin, Dong, Wenfei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11-05-2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Biocompatibility; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cervical cancer; Cervix; Gold; I.R. radiation; In vitro methods and tests; Internalization; Iron oxides; Irradiation; magnetic field; Magnetic fields; magnetic gold nanoparticles; Magnetic resonance; Nanoparticles; Near infrared radiation; Photothermal conversion; Radiation therapy; Radio; radio-photothermal therapy; Sensitivity enhancement; Surface plasmon resonance; synergetic; radio-photothermal therapy; magnetic gold nanoparticles; magnetic field; synergetic; cervical cancer
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano7050111

The combination of radiotherapy (RT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) has been considered an attractive strategy in cervical cancer treatment. However, it remains a challenge to simultaneously enhance the radio-sensitivity of tumor tissue, develop tumor tissue-focused radiation therapies and combine dual therapeutic modalities. In this study, core-shell type magnetic gold (Fe₃O₄@Au) nanoparticles are exploited to achieve the synergistic efficacy of radio-photothermal therapy in cervical cancer. Fe₃O₄@Au nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform morphology exhibited superior surface plasmon resonance properties, excellent superparamagnetic properties, good biocompatibility and high photothermal conversion efficiency. For the in vitro tests, a low concentration of Fe₃O₄@Au NPs after a short period of near-infrared irradiation lead to the time-dependent death of cervical cancer cells. Further, the combination of RT and PTT induced synergistic anti-cancer effects in vitro. More importantly, an external magnetic field could significantly enhance the synergistic efficacy of Fe₃O₄@Au NPs by improving their internalization. Hence, the reported Fe₃O₄@Au NPs have the potential to be good nanoagents with excellent magnetic targeting ability for cervical cancer radio-photothermal treatment.