Comparison of dose enhancement effect of iron oxide nanoparticles on HeLa cancerous cell line exposed to high-energy electron and photon beams

Abstract

Introduction and aims: The aim of radiotherapy is delivering lethal dose of radiation to tumor cells while adjacent healthy tissues would have the least amount of irradiation. One way to increase the dose in the tumor cells is using high atomic number nanoparticles as radiation sensitizers in these cells. Materials and Methods: Dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles at different concentrations (10, 40 and 80 µg/ml) were incubated with HeLa cell line of cervical cancer for 24 hours and then the cells irradiated with different doses (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy) of 6 MeV electron and 6 MV photon beams. Survival fraction of the cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Results: The survival fraction in the groups receiving radiation in the absence and presence of iron oxide nanoparticles showed significant differences (p<0.05). The average of dose enhancement factors in 10, 40 and 80 µg/ml concentrations with 6 MeV irradiations obtained 1.13± 0.04, 1.19± 0.05 and 1.25±0.07, respectively; and with 6 MV photon irradiations these factors obtained 1.19± 0.15 and 1.49± 0.11 in 10 and 40 µg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Using iron oxide nanoparticles coated with dextran can increase the absorbed dose and consequently cell killing in cervical cancer cells (HeLa).

Keywords

• Radiotherapy
• Radiation-Sensitizing Agents
• nanoparticles
• Iron Oxide
• cervical cancer