Localized magnetic hyperthermia as a treatment modality for cancer has generated renewed interest, particularly if it can be targeted to the tumor site. We examined whether tumor-tropic neural progenitor cells (NPCs) could be utilized as cell delivery vehicles for achieving preferential accumulation of core/shell iron/iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) within a mouse model of melanoma. We developed aminosiloxane-porphyrin functionalized MNPs, evaluated cell viability and loading efficiency, and transplanted neural progenitor cells loaded with this cargo into mice with melanoma. NPCs were efficiently loaded with core/shell Fe/Fe 3 O 4 MNPs with minimal cytotoxicity; the MNPs accumulated as aggregates in the cytosol. The NPCs loaded with MNPs could travel to subcutaneous melanomas, and after A/C (alternating current) magnetic field (AMF) exposure, the targeted delivery of MNPs by the cells resulted in a measurable regression of the tumors. The tumor attenuation was significant (p<0.05) a short time (24 hours) after the last of three AMF exposures. Keywords nanotechnology; cell-based; targeted delivery; magnetic nanoparticles; magnetic hyperthermia; melanoma; neural progenitor cellsThe incidence and mortality rate of malignant melanoma continues to increase at an alarming rate worldwide.1 Disseminated melanoma is not curable using current clinical * Corresponding author: Deryl Troyer, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, 228 Coles Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA troyer@vet.ksu.edu,. ** Both of these authors contributed equally to this work. Supporting Information Available:Supplemental Figures S1 and S2 show a TEM image of MNPs and a photo of a hemacytometer grid with trypan blue-stained, MNP-loaded NPCs, respectively. The figures and accompanying legends are available This material is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript ACS Nano. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 December 28. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript tools; traditional chemotherapy is ineffective due to inherent drug-resistant characteristics of the disease.2 , 3The pioneering studies of Gordon et al. demonstrated induced intracellular hyperthermia using dextran magnetite nanoparticles in a high frequency magnetic field (such as 500 kHz); the advantages of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), such as negligible or low toxicity, biocompatibility, injectability into the blood stream, and potential accumulation in the target tumor, make them prime candidates for hyperthermia applications.4 However, the specific absorption rates (SARs) of those early systems were low. It will be of great importance to achieve a high monodispersity of the magnetic nanoparticles, because only then can the A/ C-excitation be optimized to achieve very high specific absorption rates. Magnetic hyperthermia has recently garnered new interest as a cancer therapy because technological advances allow heat delivery to be more precisely contro...

Gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) has been investigated as a means of cancer treatment without affecting normal tissues. This system is based on the delivery of a suicide gene, a gene encoding an enzyme which is able to convert its substrate from non-toxic prodrug to cytotoxin. In this experiment, we have developed a targeted suicide gene therapeutic system that is completely contained within tumor-tropic cells and have tested this system for melanoma therapy in a preclinical model. First, we established double stable RAW264.7 monocyte/macrophage-like cells (Mo/Ma) containing a Tet-On® Advanced system for intracellular carboxylesterase (InCE) expression. Second, we loaded a prodrug into the delivery cells, double stable Mo/Ma. Third, we activated the enzyme system to convert the prodrug, irinotecan, to the cytotoxin, SN-38. Our double stable Mo/Ma homed to the lung melanomas after 1 day and successfully delivered the prodrug-activating enzyme/prodrug package to the tumors. We observed that our system significantly reduced tumor weights and numbers as targeted tumor therapy after activation of the InCE. Therefore, we propose that this system may be a useful targeted melanoma therapy system for pulmonary metastatic tumors with minimal side effects, particularly if it is combined with other treatments.

Two 12-year-old cats were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on physical examination, clinicopathologic data and, in one case, abdominal ultrasound findings. Approximately 1 year after the initial diagnosis of CKD both cats developed renal transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)--bilateral in one cat. Based on post-mortem examination, one cat had no evidence of metastasis and the other had metastasis to the large intestine, heart and lungs. This is the first report of de novo bilateral renal TCC in a cat, as well as the first report of renal TCC developing in cats with previous history of confirmed CKD.

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