Proof-of-Concept Study of Multifunctional Hybrid Nanoparticle System Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation for the Treatment of Melanoma

Abstract

The global impact of cancer emphasizes the importance of developing innovative, effective and minimally invasive therapies. In the context of superficial cancers, the development of a multifunctional nanoparticle-based system and its in vitro and in vivo safety and efficacy characterization are, herein, proposed as a proof-of-concept. This multifunctional system consists of gold nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic and oleic acids, and functionalized with epidermal growth factor for greater specificity towards cutaneous melanoma cells. This nanoparticle system is activated by a near-infrared laser. The characterization of this nanoparticle system included several phases, with in vitro assays being firstly performed to assess the safety of gold nanoparticles without laser irradiation. Then, hairless immunocompromised mice were selected for a xenograft model upon inoculation of A375 human melanoma cells. Treatment with near-infrared laser irradiation for five minutes combined with in situ administration of the nanoparticles showed a tumor volume reduction of approximately 80% and, in some cases, led to the formation of several necrotic foci, observed histologically. No significant skin erythema at the irradiation zone was verified, nor other harmful effects on the excised organs. In conclusion, these assays suggest that this system is safe and shows promising results for the treatment of superficial melanoma.

The Role of Rosmarinic Acid on the Bioproduction of Gold Nanoparticles as Part of a Photothermal Approach for Breast Cancer Treatment

“…The AuNPs were synthesized through a modified version of a synthetic method previously reported [ 52 , 54 , 55 , 56 ], using here RA instead of the plant extract. Moreover, we studied the effect of the concentration of RA on particle’s properties.…”

“…Herein, AuNPs were synthesized using rosmarinic acid (RA) as one of the reducing agents, in substitution of the typically harmful cytotoxic reagents. This experimental approach was adapted from the method previously described by our group [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ], this being the first report assessing the effect of RA on the resulting AuNP physicochemical and biological properties. Moreover, in previous publications from our group, an aqueous extract of a Lamiaceae species, Plectranthus saccatus Benth, was used as the main source of reducing and capping agents [ 52 , 53 ], which has now been replaced by RA.…”

The Challenging Melanoma Landscape: From Early Drug Discovery to Clinical Approval

“…In these 2D culture assays, cytotoxicity, migration, invasion, protein expression, molecular characterization, and genetic/genomic characterization are rou-tinely investigated [75,90]. Within cytotoxicity tests, the most popular is, undoubtedly, the (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay towards B16-F10, MNT-1 and A375 cell lines [91][92][93][94]. Notwithstanding, other colorimetric methods have also been used to evaluate cytotoxicity, such as the (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay [95][96][97][98][99].…”

An update of advanced nanoplatforms for glioblastoma multiforme management

“…The main disadvantage of a synthetic approach is that some chemicals used can be an environmental and/or health hazard. For this reason, various green methods using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, plants and algae have been devised (Molnár et al, 2018[ 84 ]; Amina and Guo, 2020[ 7 ]) but also other methods with hazardous chemicals-free AuNPs for the treatment of melanoma (Silva et al, 2016[ 108 ]; Lopes et al, 2020[ 72 ], 2021[ 73 ]), breast cancer (Costa et al, 2020[ 28 ]) and thyroid cancer (Amaral et al, 2020[ 5 ], 2021[ 6 ]).…”