Gold nanoparticles have emerged as some of the most extensively utilized nanoplatforms for the diagnosis, imaging, monitoring and treatment of malignant diseases. In particular, in computed tomography (CT) imaging and in therapy (PTT), the exploitation of the various, advantageous properties of gold nanoparticles have resulted in numerous advances in each of these fields. The purpose of this review is to assess the status of gold-nanoparticle mediated CT and PTT, highlight several promising outcomes and motivate the combination of these two functionalities in the same nanoparticle platform. The given examples of research based advances and the encouraging results of in vitro and in vivo studies provide much excitement and promise for future theranostic (therapy + diagnostic) clinical applications, as well as for image-guided therapy and/or surgery, and their monitoring.
Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the utility of biologically compatible, nontoxic and cell-specific targetable hydrogel nanoparticles (NPs), which have Coomassie® Brilliant Blue G dye (Sigma-Aldrich, MO, USA) covalently linked into their polyacrylamide matrix, as candidates for photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancer cells.
Materials & methods
Hydrogel NPs with Coomassie Brilliant Blue G dye covalently linked into their polyacrylamide matrix were fabricated using a reverse micelle microemulsion polymerization method and were found to be 80–95 nm in diameter, with an absorbance value of 0.52. PTT-induced hyperthermia/thermolysis was achieved at 37°C using an inexpensive, portable, light-emitting diode array light source (590 nm, 25 mW/cm2).
Results & conclusion
Hydrogel NPs with Coomassie Brilliant Blue G dye linked into their polyacrylamide matrix are effective in causing PTT-induced thermolysis in immortalized human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) cells for varying NP concentrations and treatment times. These multifunctional particles have previously been used in cancer studies to enable delineation, for glioma surgery and in photoacoustic imaging studies. The addition of the PTT function would enable a three-pronged theranostic approach to cancer medicine, such as guided tumor surgery with intra-operative photoacoustic imaging and intra-operative PTT.
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