Using Glucose-bound Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles as Photothermal Agents for Targeted Hyperthermia of Cancer Cells

Abstract

Cancer remains as a top leading cause of death for decades. Thus, efforts have been devoted in exploring effective therapeutic methods of treating patients suffering from the disease. In this study, we proposed a targeted hyperthermia approach that can be used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells by combining functional iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with illumination of near-infrared (NIR) light. Cancer cells express more glucose receptors on their cell membrane than normal cells. Furthermore, Fe 3 O 4 MNPs are known to possess photothermal features. An aqueous solution containing the generated MNPs (1 μg μL-1 , 100 μL) can be heated from 37°C to over 50°C under irradiation of a NIR laser (808 nm) within 3 min. We immobilized glucose-6-phosphate on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 MNPs (Glu-Fe 3 O 4 MNPs) through phosphate-Fe(III) chelation and used the generated glucose functionalized MNPs as probes to target cancer cells, i.e., hepatocellular, breast, and prostate cancer cells, in which different amounts of Glu receptors were expressed in their cell membrane. After irradiating the MNP-target cell conjugates using a NIR laser (808 nm), the growth of cancer cells containing more Glu receptors can be better inhibited than normal cells containing fewer receptors within 1 min. More than 90% of these cancer cells were killed under NIR light irradiation within 3 min. The results showed that the Glu-Fe 3 O 4 MNP-targeted hyperthermia approach can effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells. On the basis of the targeting capacity of the Glu-Fe 3 O 4 MNPs against cancer cells, the Glu-Fe 3 O 4 MNP probes can be potentially used as universal probes for the photothermal hyperthermia of cancer cells.

Voltammetric Behavior, Identifying and Quantitatively Determining Iron-Based Nanoparticles, and Evaluating Their Stability in Simulated Solutions of Gastric Juice

“…To reduce the harmful effects of nanoparticles on the human body, studies are underway to apply various protective coatings to their surface, for example, with carbon materials and organic substances [4–8]. Therefore, the problems of identifying and quantifying both the nanoparticles themselves and the products of their chemical interaction with those media in which they have been placed are acute.…”

A new bifunctional hybrid nanostructure as an active platform for photothermal therapy and MR imaging

“…Among other nanoparticles for synthesis of hybrid structures with GNRs, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are good candidates because of their biocompatibility7825262728293031. Combining nanoparticles with surface plasmon resonance properties and superparamagnetic properties into one single structure can lead to a development of new functional and efficient techniques in therapeutic243233, bioimaging213334 and biosensing235.…”