Nanomaterials (Feb 2023)

Proton Therapy, Magnetic Nanoparticles and Hyperthermia as Combined Treatment for Pancreatic BxPC3 Tumor Cells

  • Francesca Brero,
  • Paola Calzolari,
  • Martin Albino,
  • Antonio Antoccia,
  • Paolo Arosio,
  • Francesco Berardinelli,
  • Daniela Bettega,
  • Mario Ciocca,
  • Angelica Facoetti,
  • Salvatore Gallo,
  • Flavia Groppi,
  • Claudia Innocenti,
  • Anna Laurenzana,
  • Cristina Lenardi,
  • Silvia Locarno,
  • Simone Manenti,
  • Renato Marchesini,
  • Manuel Mariani,
  • Francesco Orsini,
  • Emanuele Pignoli,
  • Claudio Sangregorio,
  • Francesca Scavone,
  • Ivan Veronese,
  • Alessandro Lascialfari

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13050791
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 5
p. 791

Abstract

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We present an investigation of the effects on BxPC3 pancreatic cancer cells of proton therapy combined with hyperthermia, assisted by magnetic fluid hyperthermia performed with the use of magnetic nanoparticles. The cells’ response to the combined treatment has been evaluated by means of the clonogenic survival assay and the estimation of DNA Double Strand Breaks (DSBs). The Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production, the tumor cell invasion and the cell cycle variations have also been studied. The experimental results have shown that the combination of proton therapy, MNPs administration and hyperthermia gives a clonogenic survival that is much smaller than the single irradiation treatment at all doses, thus suggesting a new effective combined therapy for the pancreatic tumor. Importantly, the effect of the therapies used here is synergistic. Moreover, after proton irradiation, the hyperthermia treatment was able to increase the number of DSBs, even though just at 6 h after the treatment. Noticeably, the magnetic nanoparticles’ presence induces radiosensitization effects, and hyperthermia increases the production of ROS, which contributes to cytotoxic cellular effects and to a wide variety of lesions including DNA damage. The present study indicates a new way for clinical translation of combined therapies, also in the vision of an increasing number of hospitals that will use the proton therapy technique in the near future for different kinds of radio-resistant cancers.

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