Engineering of gold nanorods as multifunctional theranostic agent for photothermal-enhanced radiotherapy of cancer

Lina Xie; Xia Ying; Xinyue Li; Xinyue Tan; Tianzi Zhang; Xujia Zhang; Wen Cai; Feifei An; Xiaoli Liu; Suxia Han

Materials & Design (Jan 2023)

Engineering of gold nanorods as multifunctional theranostic agent for photothermal-enhanced radiotherapy of cancer

Lina Xie,
Xia Ying,
Xinyue Li,
Xinyue Tan,
Tianzi Zhang,
Xujia Zhang,
Wen Cai,
Feifei An,
Xiaoli Liu,
Suxia Han

Affiliations

Lina Xie: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Xia Ying: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang, China
Xinyue Li: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Xinyue Tan: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Tianzi Zhang: Institute of Medical Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Xujia Zhang: Institute of Medical Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Wen Cai: Institute of Medical Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding authors.
Feifei An: School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Xiaoli Liu: Institute of Regenerative and Reconstructive Medicine, Med-X Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China; National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgical Engineering, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China
Suxia Han: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding authors.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 225
p. 111456

Abstract

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Radiotherapy (RT) is an important method in cancer treatment. Devising conveniently synthesizable and smart multifunctional radiosensitizers is of tremendous significance to improve the cure rate of RT. Gold nanorods (GNRs), which exhibit high X-ray absorption capacity and near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion effectiveness, could be utilized as radiosensitizers. In the present study, an all-in-one theranostic nanoagent for photothermal-enhanced RT of cancer was devised based on engineered GNRs with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) attributes. This nanoagent-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) in combination with RT (PTT-RT) demonstrated excellent photothermal-enhanced RT effect by significantly inhibiting migration and invasion, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and causing more DNA damage in two different pathological types of cell lines of cervical cancer, compared with mere RT. The PTT-RT based on this nanoagent further showed enhanced RT effect in vivo, and increased the production of some metabolites remarkablely enriched in the phenylalanine metabolism pathway revealed by the metabolomics analysis, compared with RT alone. Meanwhile, this nanoagent exhibited excellent computed tomography imaging (CTI)/photoacoustic imaging (PAI)/fluorescence imaging (FLI)/photothermal imaging (PTI) multi-modal imaging capability. The present research provides a multifunctional platform for optimizing the efficacy of RT and enriches the mechanism study for GNRs-mediated photothermal-enhanced RT.

Published in Materials & Design

ISSN: 0264-1275 (Print); 1873-4197 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/materials-and-design

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