Fe3O4 Nanopowders: Genomic and Apoptotic Evaluations on A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Line

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Apoptosis in HT-29 Cells by Stimulating Oxidative Stress and Damaging DNA

Nanoparticles have garnered considerable scientific attention in recent years due to their diagnostic and therapeutic applications in cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) on the induction of apoptosis in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms of apoptosis induced by Fe₃O₄ MNPs following MTT assay and to determine the optimal dose of 2.5 g/mL for inducing apoptosis in HT-29 cells. In HT-29 cells, Fe₃O₄ MNPs increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), calcium ion (Ca²⁺), and DNA damage. Additionally, the Fe₃O₄ MNPs significantly increased caspase 3 and 9 expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression at the protein and mRNA levels when compared to the control group (P = 0.0001). Fe₃O₄ MNPs also induced apoptosis in cancer cells by increasing the level of (ROS) and intracellular Ca²⁺, followed by an increase in caspase 3 and 9 expression and a decrease in Bcl-2 expression and direct DNA damage. Fe₃O₄ MNPs are an appropriate choice for colon cancer treatment based on their cell toxicity and induction of apoptosis in HT29 cells.

Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in Combination with 5-FU Exert Antitumor Effects Superior to Those of the Active Drug in a Colon Cancer Cell Model

(1) Background: Colon cancer is one of the most common cancer types, and treatment options, unfortunately, do not continually improve the survival rate of patients. With the unprecedented development of nanotechnologies, nanomedicine has become a significant direction in cancer research. Indeed, chemotherapeutics with nanoparticles (NPs) in cancer treatment is an outstanding new treatment principle. (2) Methods: Fe3O4 NPs were synthesized and characterized. Caco-2 colon cancer cells were treated during two different periods (24 and 72 h) with Fe3O4 NPs (6 μg/mL), various concentrations of 5-FU (4−16 μg/mL), and Fe3O4 NPs in combination with 5-FU (4−16 μg/mL) (Fe3O4 NPs + 5-FU). (3) Results: The MTT assay showed that treating the cells with Fe3O4 NPs + 5-FU at 16 µg/mL for 24 or 72 h decreased cell viability and increased their LDH release (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, at the same treatment concentrations, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was decreased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), and total oxidant status (TOS) increased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Moreover, after treatment with Fe3O4-NPs + 5-FU, the IL-10 gene was downregulated and PTEN gene expression was upregulated (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) compared with those of the control. (4) Conclusions: Fe3O4 NPs exert a synergistic cytotoxic effect with 5-FU on Caco-2 cells at concentrations below the active drug threshold levels.

Combination effect of cold atmospheric plasma with green synthesized zero-valent iron nanoparticles in the treatment of melanoma cancer model

Green synthesized zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) have high potential in cancer therapy. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is also an emerging biomedical technique that has great potential to cure cancer. Therefore, the combined effect of CAP and nZVI might be promising in treatment of cancer. In this study, we evaluated the combined effect of CAP and nZVI on the metabolic activity of the surviving cells and induction of apoptosis in malignant melanoma in comparison with normal cells. Therefore, the effect of various time exposure of CAP radiation, different doses of nZVI, and the combined effect of CAP and nZVI were evaluated on the viability of malignant melanoma cells (B16-F10) and normal fibroblast cells (L929) at 24 h after treatment using MTT assay. Then, the effect of appropriate doses of each treatment on apoptosis was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry with Annexin/PI staining. In addition, the expression of BAX, BCL2 and Caspase 3 (CASP3) was also assayed. The results showed although the combined effect of CAP and nZVI significantly showed cytotoxic effects and apoptotic activity on cancer cells, this treatment had no more effective compared to CAP or nZVI alone. In addition, evaluation of gene expression showed that combination therapy didn't improve expression of apoptotic genes in comparison with CAP or nZVI. In conclusion, combined treatment of CAP and nZVI does not seem to be able to improve the effect of monotherapy of CAP or nZVI. It may be due to the resistance of cancer cells to high ROS uptake or the accumulation of saturated ROS in cells, which prevents the intensification of apoptosis.

Cytotoxicity Effect of Iron Oxide (Fe3O4)/Graphene Oxide (GO) Nanosheets in Cultured HBE Cells

Iron oxide (Fe3O4), a classical magnetic material, has been widely utilized in the field of biological magnetic resonance imaging Graphene oxide (GO) has also been extensively applied as a drug carrier due to its high specific surface area and other properties. Recently, numerous studies have synthesized Fe3O4/GO nanomaterials for biological diagnosis and treatments, including photothermal therapy and magnetic thermal therapy. However, the biosafety of the synthesized Fe3O4/GO nanomaterials still needs to be further identified. Therefore, this research intended to ascertain the cytotoxicity of Fe3O4/GO after treatment with different conditions in HBE cells. The results indicated the time-dependent and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of Fe3O4/GO. Meanwhile, exposure to Fe3O4/GO nanomaterials increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, calcium ions levels, and oxidative stress in mitochondria produced by these nanomaterials activated Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, ultimately leading to cell apoptosis.

Mineral medicine: from traditional drugs to multifunctional delivery systems

Mineral drugs are an important constituent of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Taking minerals that contain heavy metals as drugs is a very national characteristic part of TCM. However, the safety and scientific nature of mineral drugs are controversial owing to their heavy metals and strong toxicity. In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized arsenic trioxide (ATO) as first-line therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia. This makes the development and utilization of mineral drugs become a research hotspot. The development of nanomedicine has found a great prospect of mineral drugs in nano-delivery carriers. And that will hold promise to address the numerous biological barriers facing mineral drug formulations. However, the studies on mineral drugs in the delivery system are few at present. There is also a lack of a detailed description of mineral drug delivery systems. In this review, the advanced strategies of mineral drug delivery systems in tumor therapy are summarized. In addition, the therapeutic advantages and research progress of novel mineral drug delivery systems are also discussed. Here, we hope that this will provide a useful reference for the design and application of new mineral drug delivery systems.

Nanoparticles in Clinical Translation for Cancer Therapy

The advent of cancer therapeutics brought a paradigm shift from conventional therapy to precision medicine. The new therapeutic modalities accomplished through the properties of nanomaterials have extended their scope in cancer therapy beyond conventional drug delivery. Nanoparticles can be channeled in cancer therapy to encapsulate active pharmaceutical ingredients and deliver them to the tumor site in a more efficient manner. This review enumerates various types of nanoparticles that have entered clinical trials for cancer treatment. The obstacles in the journey of nanodrug from clinic to market are reviewed. Furthermore, the latest developments in using nanoparticles in cancer therapy are also highlighted.