Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of gold nanorods assisted photothermal therapy against Ehrlich carcinoma in-vivo

Efficacy of iron-silver bimetallic nanoparticles to enhance radiotherapy

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the primary cancer treatment methods. Radiosensitizers are used to enhance RT and protect healthy tissue. Heavy metals have been studied as radiosensitizers. Thus, iron oxide and iron oxide/silver nanoparticles have been the main subjects of this investigation. A simple honey-based synthesis of iron (IONPs) and iron-silver bimetallic nanoparticles (IO@AgNPs) were prepared followed by characterization with transmission electron microscope (TEM), absorption spectra, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, Ehrlich carcinoma was induced in 30 adult BALB/c mice and divided into 6 groups. Mice of group G1 were not treated with nanoparticles or exposed to irradiation (control group), and group G2 and G3 were treated with IONPs and IO@AgNPs respectively. Mice of group G4 were exposed to a high dose of gamma radiation (HRD) (12 Gy). Groups G5 and G6 were treated with IONPs and IO@AgNPs followed by exposure to a low dose of gamma radiation (LRD) (6 Gy) respectively. The impact of NP on the treatment protocol was evaluated by checking tumor growth, DNA damage, and level of oxidative stress in addition to investigating tumor histopathology. Additional research on the toxicity of this protocol was also evaluated by looking at the liver's cytotoxicity. When compared to HRD therapy, combination therapy (bimetallic NPs and LRD) significantly increased DNA damage by about 75% while having a stronger efficacy in slowing Ehrlich tumor growth (at the end of treatment protocol) by about 45%. Regarding the biosafety concern, mice treated with combination therapy showed lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in their liver tissues by about half the value of HRD. IO@AgNPs enhanced the therapeutic effect of low-dose radiation and increased the efficacy of treating Ehrlich tumors with the least amount of harm to normal tissues as compared to high radiation dosage therapy.

Physico-chemical properties of curcumin nanoparticles and its efficacy against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

Curcumin is a bioactive component with anticancer characteristics; nevertheless, it has poor solubility and fast metabolism, resulting in low bioavailability and so restricting its application. Curcumin loaded in nano emulsions (Cur-NE) was developed to improve water solubility and eliminate all the limitations of curcumin. Size distribution, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, UV-Visible spectra, IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to characterize the prepared Cur-NE. Cancer therapeutic efficacy was assessed by oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), DNA damage, apoptotic proteins (caspase-3 and 9), besides investigating tumor histology and monitoring tumor growth. Additionally, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the liver, kidney, heart, and spleen tissues were examined to gauge the adverse effects of the treatment method's toxicity. The results showed that Cur-NE is more effective than free curcumin at slowing the growth of Ehrlich tumors while significantly increasing the levels of apoptotic proteins. On the other hand, Cur-NE-treated mice showed some damage in other organs when compared to mice treated with free curcumin. Cur-NE has a higher efficacy in treating Ehrlich tumor.

[1,2,4] Triazolo [3,4-a]isoquinoline chalcone derivative exhibits anticancer activity via induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis in Ehrlich solid carcinoma-bearing mice

Despite the advances made in cancer therapeutics, their adverse effects remain a major concern, putting safer therapeutic options in high demand. Since chalcones, a group of flavonoids and isoflavonoids, act as promising anticancer agents, we aimed to evaluate the in vivo anticancer activity of a synthetic isoquinoline chalcone (CHE) in a mice model with Ehrlich solid carcinoma. Our in vivo pilot experiments revealed that the maximum tolerated body weight-adjusted CHE dose was 428 mg/kg. Female BALB/c mice were inoculated with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells and randomly assigned to three different CHE doses administered intraperitoneally (IP; 107, 214, and 321 mg/kg) twice a week for two consecutive weeks. A group injected with doxorubicin (DOX; 4 mg/kg IP) was used as a positive control. We found that in CHE-treated groups: (1) tumor weight was significantly decreased; (2) the total antioxidant concentration was substantially depleted in tumor tissues, resulting in elevated oxidative stress and DNA damage evidenced through DNA fragmentation and comet assays; (3) pro-apoptotic genes p53 and Bax, assessed via qPCR, were significantly upregulated. Interestingly, CHE treatment reduced immunohistochemical staining of the proliferative marker ki67, whereas BAX was increased. Notably, histopathological examination indicated that unlike DOX, CHE treatment had minimal toxicity on the liver and kidney. In conclusion, CHE exerts antitumor activity via induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage that lead to apoptosis, making CHE a promising candidate for solid tumor therapy.

Gold Nanorod-Assisted Photothermal Therapy and Improvement Strategies

Noble metal nanoparticles have been sought after in cancer nanomedicine during the past two decades, owing to the unique localized surface plasmon resonance that induces strong absorption and scattering properties of the nanoparticles. A popular application of noble metal nanoparticles is photothermal therapy, which destroys cancer cells by heat generated by laser irradiation of the nanoparticles. Gold nanorods have stood out as one of the major types of noble metal nanoparticles for photothermal therapy due to the facile tuning of their optical properties in the tissue penetrative near infrared region, strong photothermal conversion efficiency, and long blood circulation half-life after surface modification with stealthy polymers. In this review, we will summarize the optical properties of gold nanorods and their applications in photothermal therapy. We will also discuss the recent strategies to improve gold nanorod-assisted photothermal therapy through combination with chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy.

Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy of Tumors with Plasmonic Nanoparticles: Challenges and Prospects

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world. For a number of neoplasms, the efficiency of conventional chemo- and radiation therapies is insufficient because of drug resistance and marked toxicity. Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPT) using local hyperthermia induced by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has recently been extensively explored in tumor treatment. However, despite attractive promises, the current PPT status is limited by laboratory experiments, academic papers, and only a few preclinical studies. Unfortunately, most nanoformulations still share a similar fate: great laboratory promises and fair preclinical trials. This review discusses the current challenges and prospects of plasmonic nanomedicine based on PPT and photodynamic therapy (PDT). We start with consideration of the fundamental principles underlying plasmonic properties of AuNPs to tune their plasmon resonance for the desired NIR-I, NIR-2, and SWIR optical windows. The basic principles for simulation of optical cross-sections and plasmonic heating under CW and pulsed irradiation are discussed. Then, we consider the state-of-the-art methods for wet chemical synthesis of the most popular PPPT AuNPs such as silica/gold nanoshells, Au nanostars, nanorods, and nanocages. The photothermal efficiencies of these nanoparticles are compared, and their applications to current nanomedicine are shortly discussed. In a separate section, we discuss the fabrication of gold and other nanoparticles by the pulsed laser ablation in liquid method. The second part of the review is devoted to our recent experimental results on laser-activated interaction of AuNPs with tumor and healthy tissues and current achievements of other research groups in this application area. The unresolved issues of PPT are the significant accumulation of AuNPs in the organs of the mononuclear phagocyte system, causing potential toxic effects of nanoparticles, and the possibility of tumor recurrence due to the presence of survived tumor cells. The prospective ways of solving these problems are discussed, including developing combined antitumor therapy based on combined PPT and PDT. In the conclusion section, we summarize the most urgent needs of current PPT-based nanomedicine.

A sunscreen nanoparticles polymer based on prolonged period of protection

UV rays are one of the most dangerous factors that harm the skin. There is continuous improvement in getting an effective sunscreen that protects the skin from excessive exposure to UV rays. Typically, phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid (PBSA) is used as a sun blocking agent, but its disadvantage is that it can photodegrade and cause cell damage. In our work, PBSA was encapsulated in niosomes nanoparticles then coated with chitosan-aloe vera (CS-nio-aloe/PBSA) to form a carrier polymer with novel and potent properties. This polymer controls PBSA release and epidermal penetration. Characterization of CS-nio-aloe/PBSA polymer nanoparticles through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The carrier polymer release rate was studied in vitro and epidermal permeability to coated PBSA was assessed using mouse skin. The nanoparticle polymer containing sunscreen was effectively prepared with an encapsulation efficiency of 80%. The formulation (CS-nio-aloe/PBSA) was completely deposited on the surface of the skin. This supports its use to protect the skin, and its nanostructures stimulate the release of PBSA for a longer period. Encapsulation of PBSA in CS-nio-aloe nanoparticles could allow for further cellular preservation, UV protection, control of free PBSA, and limited penetration through the mouse skin epidermis.

Development of gold nanorods for cancer treatment

There has been growing interest in the application of gold nanorods (GNRs) to tumor therapy due to the unique properties they possess. In the past, GNRs were not used in clinical treatments as they lacked stability in vivo and were characterized by potential toxicity. Despite these issues, the significant potential for utilizing GNRs to conduct safe and effective treatments for tumors cannot be ignored. Therefore, it remains crucial to thoroughly investigate the mechanisms behind the toxicity of GNRs in order to provide the means of overcoming obstacles to its full application in the future. This review presents the toxic effects of GNRs, the factors affecting toxicity and the methods to improve biocompatibility, all of which are presently being studied. Finally, we conclude by briefly discussing the current research status of GNRs and provide additional perspective on the challenges involved along with the course of development for GNRs in the future.