Gold Nanorods as Radiopharmaceutical Carriers: Preparation and Preliminary Radiobiological In Vitro Tests.
Ludovica BinelliValentina DiniSimone AmatoriTeresa ScotognellaAlessandro GiordanoBarbara De BerardisFederica BertelàChiara BattocchioGiovanna IucciEmiliano ZampettiAntonella CartoniAndrea BearzottiPublished in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
Low-energy electrons (Auger electrons) can be produced via the interaction of photons with gold atoms in gold nanorods (AuNRs). These electrons are similar to those emitted during the decay of technetium-99m ( 99m Tc), a radioactive nuclide widely used for diagnostics in nuclear medicine. Auger and internal conversion (IC) electron emitters appropriately targeted to the DNA of tumors cells may, therefore, represent a new radiotherapeutic approach. 99m Tc radiopharmaceuticals, which are used for diagnosis, could indeed be used in theragnostic fields when loaded on AuNRs and delivered to a tumor site. This work aims to provide a proof of concept (i) to evaluate AuNRs as carriers of 99m Tc-based radiopharmaceuticals, and (ii) to evaluate the efficacy of Auger electrons emitted by photon-irradiated AuNRs in inducing radio-induced damage in T98G cells, thus mimicking the effect of Auger electrons emitted during the decay of 99m Tc used in clinical settings. Data are presented on AuNRs' chemical characterization (with an aspect ratio of 3.2 and Surface Plasmon Resonance bands at 520 and 680 nm) and the loading of pharmaceuticals (after 99m Tc decay) on their surface. Spectroscopic characterizations, such as UV-Vis and synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray photoelectron (SR-XPS) spectroscopies, were performed to investigate the drug-AuNR interaction. Finally, preliminary radiobiological data on cell killing with AuNRs are presented.
Keyphrases
- radiation induced
- induced apoptosis
- cell cycle arrest
- electronic health record
- radiation therapy
- cancer therapy
- big data
- signaling pathway
- drug delivery
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- single cell
- oxidative stress
- high resolution
- photodynamic therapy
- emergency department
- cell therapy
- diabetic rats
- stem cells
- molecular docking
- cell death
- magnetic resonance imaging
- single molecule
- reduced graphene oxide
- wound healing
- mass spectrometry
- cell free
- bone marrow
- living cells
- deep learning
- mesenchymal stem cells
- molecularly imprinted
- nucleic acid