Interaction of cancer cells with magnetic nanoparticles modified by methacrylamido-folic acid

Abstract

Background: Magnetic nanoparticles show great promise for use as tools in a wide variety of biomedical applications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of methacrylamido-folic acid (Ma-Fol)-modified magnetic nanoparticles on 5RP7 (H- ras -transformed rat embryonic fibroblasts) and NIH/3T3 (normal mouse embryonic fibroblasts). Methods: The cytotoxicity and viability of 5RP7 and NIH/3T3 cells were detected. The percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate staining. Nanoparticle internalization into 5RP7 and NIH/3T3 cells was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Conclusion: In this study, folic acid coupled to the surface of iron oxide for selective binding to cancer cells and immobilized the surfaces of magnetic nanoparticles. This complex improves cell internalization and targeting of cancer cells. We detected increased apoptosis using flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Folic acid modification of magnetic nanoparticles could be used to facilitate uptake to specific cancer cells for cancer therapy and diagnosis. Our results showed that the uptake of folic-acid modified nanoparticles by 5RP7 cancer cells was also much higher than that of 3T3 cells. This modification can be used for successful targeting of cancer cells expressing the folate receptor.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of carbon-encapsulated iron nanoparticles in melanoma cells and dermal fibroblasts

“…These both observations were found in agreement with flow cytometry studies (Fig. 11b) and other recent reports in which MNPs such as iron oxides and carbon-encapsulated iron nanoforms promoted both early and late apoptotic events in different cancer cell lines (Kai et al 2011; Saltan et al 2011; Xia et al 2011). Realizing the future clinical potential of these novel magnetic nanoplatforms as new contrast drug candidates in mMRI, a more through approach has to be done to better understand their cytotoxic insults at the molecular level in details.…”

“…Preclinical studies evidence that malignant cells are more prone to internalize the MNPs than normal cells (Fisichella et al 2010; Saltan et al 2011). The reason is that malignant cells possess a higher endocytotic potential than that of normal cells due to their enhanced requirement for nutrients in virtue of their high metabolic activity and proliferation rate (Clement et al 2006; Zhang et al 2009).…”

Phagocytes mediate targeting of iron oxide nanoparticles to tumors for cancer therapy

“…This suggests that it is possible to increase the amount of IONPs further to accomplish thermoablation more efficiently without significantly harming normal organs. In addition, targeting nanoparticles by conjugating cell-surface receptor ligands or monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to molecules found on the surfaces of cancer cells, such as the high-affinity folate receptor 27 or receptors for luteinizing hormone releasing hormone 28 could possibly improve partitioning of nanoparticles into tumors by adding direct binding to tumor surface molecules to uptake and delivery by phagocytes. As demonstrated here, it should also be possible to mix IONPs with phagocytes cultured briefly in vitro followed by IP administration of these nanoparticle-carrying phagocytes to further increase the specific targeting of IONPs into peritoneal cancers.…”

Expression and preliminary functional analysis of Siglec-F on mouse macrophages

“…Eosinophils were incubated without Ab and with anti-Fas Ab as controls. Annexin V labeling was performed to detect apoptosis in eosinophils as described previously by Saltan et al (2011). Cultured cells were washed once in PBS and incubated with FITC-conjugated anti-annexin V (1:200, v/v) for 15 min in the dark at room temperature.…”