Targeted magnetite nanoparticles as a drug carrier and thermal sensitizer agent in glioblastoma cancer cells

Targeted magnetite nanoparticles as a drug carrier and thermal sensitizer agent in glioblastoma cancer cells
Soraya Emamgholizadeh Minaei,^1,*
1. Department of Medical Physics and Imaging, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Introduction: Hyperthermia is a promising adjuvant therapy for cancer treatment. Localized hyperthermia is one of the most challenging problems in chemo-hyperthermia therapy. In the present study, magnetite nanoparticles as a carrier of chemotherapy drug modified with folic acid-ligand (TMZ-MNP-FA) were designed for targeted chemotherapy and a thermal-sensitizer agent for alternating magnetic field (AMF) hyperthermia of cancer cells.
Methods: Nanoparticles were characterized and in vitro AMF-triggered release of them using diffusion method were evaluated. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were evaluated by a vibrating-sample magnetometer and the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the nanoparticles was determined. The C6 glioblastoma cancer cells were treated with the nanoparticles and subjected to an alternating magnetic field to reach a typical hyperthermia temperature of 43 °C. The cytotoxic effects of various treatments were assessed using Annexin V-FITC/PI assay.
Results: The in vitro release studies exhibited that the drug release from TMZ-MNP-FA nanoparticles was minimal at 37 °C but was noticeably boosted under an AMF irradiation. The SAR value of TMZ-MNP-FA NPs was 530 W/g indicating that these nanoparticles could serve as a powerfull thermal sensitizer agent under an AMF irradiation. Our results showed that combined magnetite chemo-hyperthermia (AMF+TMZ-MNP-FA) treatment was significantly more efficacious in cancer cells than hyperthermia, chemotherapy, or chemo-hyperthermia treatments (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: In conclusion, TMZ-MNP-FA had a key role to convert the externally delivered radiofrequency energy to heat in cancer cells. Moreover, localized combined chemo-hyperthermia with TMZ-MNP-FA under an AMF was a more effective approach to kill cancer cells
Keywords: Glioblastoma cancer, Alternating magnetic field, Localized hyperthermia, Targeted nanoparticle