Treatment of natural mammary gland tumors in canines and felines using gold nanorods-assisted plasmonic photothermal therapy to induce tumor apoptosis

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 11; pp. 4849 - 4863
• Main Authors: Ali, Moustafa R K, Ibrahim, Ibrahim M, Ali, Hala R, Selim, Salah A, El-Sayed, Mostafa A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01-01-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Cancer treatment; Canine; Cats; Chemistry; Dogs; Feline; Female; Gold - chemistry; Gold - therapeutic use; Gold nanorods (AuNRs); Health aspects; Humans; Hyperthermia; Hyperthermia, Induced - methods; Lasers; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - pathology; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - therapy; MCF-7 Cells; Mice; Nanoparticles; Nanotubes - chemistry; Natural mammary tumors; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - prevention & control; Original Research; Permeability; Phototherapy - methods; Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT); Polyethylene glycol; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Surface Plasmon Resonance - methods; Tumors; United States > US; Cairo Egypt; canine; feline; gold nanorods; plasmonic photothermal therapy; natural mammary tumors
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s109470

Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) is a cancer therapy in which gold nanorods are injected at the site of a tumor before near-infrared light is transiently applied to the tumor causing localized cell death. Previously, PPTT studies have been carried out on xenograft mice models. Herein, we report a study showing the feasibility of PPTT as applied to natural tumors in the mammary glands of dogs and cats, which more realistically represent their human equivalents at the molecular level. We optimized a regime of three low PPTT doses at 2-week intervals that ablated tumors mainly via apoptosis in 13 natural mammary gland tumors from seven animals. Histopathology, X-ray, blood profiles, and comprehensive examinations were used for both the diagnosis and the evaluation of tumor statuses before and after treatment. Histopathology results showed an obvious reduction in the cancer grade shortly after the first treatment and a complete regression after the third treatment. Blood tests showed no obvious change in liver and kidney functions. Similarly, X-ray diffraction showed no metastasis after 1 year of treatment. In conclusion, our study suggests the feasibility of applying the gold nanorods-PPTT on natural tumors in dogs and cats without any relapse or toxicity effects after 1 year of treatment.