Exploring the potential of carbon-coated MoSe2 nanoparticles as a photothermal therapy for ovarian cancer

Abstract

Molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) as a nano near-infrared absorber has been widely studied in the field of photothermal therapy of cancer. However, there are few studies on its application in the treatment of ovarian cancer. In this paper, a new type of carbon-coated MoSe2 (MEC) nanoparticle was prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. MEC was successfully synthesized as avidenced by chemical characterization. A large number of biological experiments confirmed that MEC + Laser group had the lowest cell viability (61.6 % ± 8.9 %), inhibited the proliferation of human ovarian cancer (SKOV-3) cells in G2/M phase, induced apoptosis (apoptosis rate: 43.24 % ± 0.85 %), and increased the intracellular ROS level (93.86 % ± 1.42 %). Furthermore, MEC nanoparticles displayed excellent photothermal therapy in tumor-bearing mice with no obvious side effects on major organs. Finally, the therapeutic mechanism of MEC nanoparticles was explored, and it was found that they had higher absorbance and could generate more heat during laser irradiation, thereby improving their therapeutic effect on ovarian cancer. MEC nanoparticles, as photothermal agents, have good anticancer ability. And they have the potential to become an important candidate for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Keywords

• MoSe2
• Carbon-coated
• Ovarian cancer
• Photothermal therapy