Radioactive gold nanoparticles coated with BSA: A promising approach for prostate cancer treatment.

Background: Nanotechnology has revolutionized medicine, especially in oncological treatments. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stand out as an innovative alternative due to their biocompatibility, potential for surface modification, and effectiveness in radiotherapeutic techniques. Given that prostate cancer ranks as one of the leading malignancies among men, there's a pressing need to investigate new therapeutic approaches. Methods: AuNPs coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were synthesized and their cytotoxicity was assessed against prostate tumor cell lines (LNCaP and PC-3), healthy prostate cells (RWPE-1), and endothelial control cells (HUVEC) using the MTS/PMS assay. For in vivo studies, BALB/C Nude mice were employed to gauge the therapeutic efficacy, biodistribution, and hematological implications post-treatment with BSA-coated AuNPs. Results: The BSA-coated AuNPs exhibited cytotoxic potential against PC-3 and LNCaP lines, while interactions with RWPE-1 and HUVEC remain subjects for further scrutiny. Within animal models, a diverse therapeutic response was observed, with certain instances indicating complete tumor regression. Biodistribution data emphasized the nanoparticles' affinity towards particular organs, and the majority of hematological indicators aligned with normative standards. Conclusions: BSA-coated AuNPs manifest substantial promise as therapeutic tools in treating prostate cancer. The present research not only accentuates the nanoparticles' efficacy but also stresses the imperative of optimization to ascertain both selectivity and safety. Such findings illuminate a promising trajectory for avant-garde therapeutic modalities, holding substantial implications for public health advancements.

Therapeutic Potential of Human Immature Dental Pulp Stem Cells Observed in Mouse Model for Acquired Aplastic Anemia.

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare and serious disorder of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that results in the loss of blood cells due to the failure of the bone marrow (BM). Although BM transplantation is used to treat AA, its use is limited by donor availability. In this sense, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can offer a novel therapeutic approach for AA. This is because the MSCs contribute to the hematopoietic niche organization through their repopulating. In our study, we used the human immature dental pulp stem cell (hIDPSC), an MSC-like cell, to explore an alternative therapeutic approach for AA. For this, isogenic C57BL/6 mice were exposed to total body irradiation (TBI) to induce the AA. After 48 h of TBI, the mice were intraperitoneally treated with hIDPSC. The immunohistochemistry analyses confirmed that the hIDPSCs migrated and grafted in the mouse bone marrow (BM) and spleen, providing rapid support to hematopoiesis recovery compared to the group exposed to radiation, but not to those treated with the cells as well as the hematological parameters. Six months after the last hIDPSC transplantation, the BM showed long-term stable hematopoiesis. Our data highlight the therapeutic plasticity and hematoprotective role of hIDPSC for AA and potentially for other hematopoietic failures.

In vitro cytotoxic data on Se-methylselenocysteine conjugated to dendritic poly(glycerol) against human squamous carcinoma cells.

Polymeric nanoparticles acting as sources of selenium (Se) are currently an interesting topic in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, polyglycerol dendrimer (DPGLy) was functionalized with seleno-methyl-selenocysteine (SeMeCys) by means of Steglich esterification with 4-dimethylaminopyridine/(l-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide) (EDC/DMAP) and cerium chloride as cocatalyst in acetonitrile at quantitative yields of 98 ± 1%. The SeMeCys coupling DPGLy efficiency vs. time were determined by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The cytotoxic effects of SeMeCys-DPGLy on the Chinese Hamster ovary cell line (CHO-K1) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells line were assessed by MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay. No signs of general toxicity of SeMeCys-DPGLy against CHO-K1 cells were detectable at which cell viability was greater than 98%. MTS assays revealed that SeMeCys-DPGLy reduced HNSCC cell viability and proliferation at higher doses and long incubation times.

In vitro and in vivo response of PSMA-617 radiolabeled with CA and NCA lutetium-177.

The PSMA-targeted radionuclide therapy has been explored since 2015 with radioisotope lutetium-177, whose ß- emission range is adequate for micrometastases treatment. This radioisotope is obtained by two different production routes that directly affect the specific activity of lutetium-177 (non-carrier added and carrier added) and, consequently, the specific activity of radiopharmaceuticals, like 177Lu-PSMA-617. The influence of the specific activity of lutetium-177 on the properties of the radiopharmaceutical PSMA-617 was evaluated through pre-clinical studies. The in vitro study pointed to a lower constant of dissociation with non-carrier added lutetium-177 due to the difference in the specific activity. However, competition and internalization assays resulted in similar results for both lutetium-177. Based on these pre-clinical experiments, the total in vitro tumor cell binding and tumor uptake in vivo were similar, with no influence of the specific activity of the 177Lu-PSMA-617. Regardless the specific activity did not directly affect tumor uptake, the tumor/non-target organs ratios were higher for the radiopharmaceutical labeled with carrier added lutetium-177, which had the lowest specific activity.

Uptake of silver, gold, and hybrids silver-iron, gold-iron and silver-gold aminolevulinic acid nanoparticles by MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticles show promise for theranostic applications in cancer. The metal-based nanoparticles can be used both as photosensitizers and delivery vehicles. In bimetallic particles based on gold or silver and iron, a combination of the plasmonic features of the gold or silver components with the magnetic properties of the iron makes these hybrid nanomaterials suitable for both imaging and therapeutic applications. Herein, we discuss toxicity and cell internalization of metallic (silver and gold) and bimetallic (silver-iron, gold-iron, and silver-gold) aminolevulinic acid (ALA) nanoparticles. ALA can control the production of an intracellular photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), commonly used in photodynamic therapy. METHODS: Nanoparticles were synthesized by photoreduction method and characterized by UV/Vis spectra, Zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, and transmission electron microscopy. The amount of singlet oxygen generation by a yellow LED, and ultrasound was studied for gold, gold-iron, and silver-gold nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity assays of MCF-7 in the presence of nanoparticles were performed, and PpIX fluorescence was quantified by high content screening (HCS). RESULTS: Red fluorescence observed after 24 h of nanoparticles incubation on MCF-7 cells, indicated that the ALA in surface of nanoparticles was efficiently converted to PpIX. The best results for singlet oxygen generation with LED or ultrasound irradiation were obtained with ALA:AgAuNPs. CONCLUSIONS: The studied nanoparticles present the potential to deliver aminolevulinic acid to breast cancer cells efficiently, generate singlet oxygen, and convert ALA into PpIX inside the cells allowing photodiagnosis and therapies such as photodynamic and sonodynamic therapies.

Study of THP-1 Macrophage Viability after Sonodynamic Therapy Using Methyl Ester of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Gold Nanoparticles.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is emerging as new atherosclerosis treatment. The use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the vehicle for a sensitizer delivery improves reactive oxygen species formation. In this study, methyl ester of aminolevulinic acid (MALA) gold nanoparticles (MALA:AuNPs) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized by photoreduction and characterized by ultraviolet/visible optical absorption, zeta potential and electron microscopy. The reactive oxygen species generation induced by ultrasound irradiation of MALA:AuNPs solutions was studied by observing the decrease in the 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran emission band. The potential use of MALA:AuNPs as sensitizer for sonodynamic therapy was investigated on THP-1 macrophages. The cytotoxicity test was also described. The findings suggested that ultrasound combined with MALA:AuNPs provides impressive results in in vitro studies. Sonodynamic therapy with MALA:AuNPs through 2 minutes of ultrasound exposure (1 MHz and 1 W/cm2) culminated with total macrophage reduction. Thus, sonodynamic therapy combined with MALA:AuNPs has potential as a treatment for atherosclerosis.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of 131 I and 60 Co in follicular thyroid cancer cell (WRO) with and without recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone treatment.

Normally, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) tends to be biologically indolent, highly curable and has an excellent prognosis. However, the treatment may fail when the cancer has lost radioiodine avidity. The present study was carried out in order to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of 131 I and 60 Co and radioiodine uptake in WRO cells, derived from DTC, harboring the BRAFV600E mutation. WRO cells showed a relatively slow cell cycle of 96.3 h with an unstable karyotype containing various double minutes. The genotoxicity assay (micronucleus test) showed a relative high radioresistance to 131 I (0.07-3.70 MBq/mL), independent of treatment with recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH). For the cytotoxicity assay, WRO cells were also relatively resistant to 60 Co (range: 0.2-8.3 Gy), but with a gradual decrease of viability as a function of time for higher doses (20 and 40 Gy, starting from the fifth to sixth day). For internal irradiation with 131 I, WRO cells showed a decline in viability at radioactive concentration higher than 1.85 MBq/mL; this was even more effective at 3.70 MBq/mL, but only when preceded by rhTSH, in coincidence with the highest level of 131 I uptake. These data show promising results, since the loss of the ability of thyroid cells to concentrate radioiodine is considered to be one of the main factors responsible for the failure of 131 I therapy in patients with DTC. The use of tumor-derived cell lines as a model for in vivo tumor requires, however, further investigations and deep evaluation of the corresponding in vivo effects. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:451-461, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic evaluation of peptides used in nuclear medicine (DOTATATE and Ubiquicidin29-41) in CHO-K1 cells.

Micronucleus (MN) assay constitutes a valuable surrogate to the chromosome aberration technique for in vitro testing of the genotoxicity of substances. As test substances, two peptidic compounds (DOTATATE and Ubiquicidin29-41) used in nuclear medicine, were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in CHO-K1 cells. None of the compounds showed detectable cytotoxicity (0.5-7.3 ng/mL for DOTATATE and 0.3-4.5 ng/mL for UBI29-41), genotoxicity (0.72, 7.2 and 72.0 ng/ml for DOTATATE and 0.45, 4.5 and 45.0 ng/mL for UBI29-41) or cell cycle changes as compared to untreated controls at the concentrations tested. Statistical analysis showed good concordance between two independent analysts. The results corroborate the notion of the safety of the compounds and present improvements of the in vitro MN assay when performed in a pre-clinical trial context that increase the throughput of small-to-medium testing facilities as an alternative to high content screening systems.

Effect of Brazilian propolis (AF-08) on genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and clonogenic death of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells irradiated with (60)Co gamma-radiation.

The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of Brazilian propolis (AF-08; 5, 10, 15, 30, 50, 100, and 200µg/mL) in protecting CHO-K1 cells against genotoxic and cytotoxic damage and clonogenic death induced by (60)Co gamma-radiation (1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0Gy). For this purpose, three interlinked endpoints were analyzed: induction of DNA damage by use of the micronucleus (MN) test (genotoxic damage), cell viability by means of the MTS assay, and differential staining (cytotoxic damage) and clonogenic death via the colony-formation test (cytotoxic damage). The MN test revealed that propolis alone (5-100µg/mL) was not genotoxic up to 100µg/mL and that 30µg/mL of propolis reduced the radiation-induced DNA damage (∼56% reduction, p<0.05), exhibiting a radio-protective effect on irradiated CHO-K1 cells. On the other hand, analysis of cytotoxicity showed that a concentration of 50µg/mL presented a significant proliferative effect (p<0.001) when associated with radiation, decreasing the percentage of necrotic cells (p<0.01). No mediated cytotoxic effect was found, but the concentration of 200µg/mL was toxic when analyzed at 24 and 48h via the differential staining technique, but not at 72h after irradiation, analyzed with the MTS assay. Differential staining also showed that necrosis was the main death modality in irradiated cells and that apoptosis was induced only at the toxic concentration of propolis (200µg/mL). Concerning the clonogenic capacity, a concentration of 50µg/mL also exhibited a significant stimulating effect on cell proliferation (p<0.001), in agreement with the data from differential staining. Taken together, these data suggest that the use of propolis AF-08 for the prevention of the adverse effects of ionizing radiation is promising. Nevertheless, additional investigations are necessary for a better understanding of potential applications of propolis to improve human health.

Wave expansion of CD34+ progenitor cells in the spleen in rodent malaria.

Defense against malaria depends upon amplification of the spleen structure and function for the clearance of parasitized red blood cells (pRBC). We studied the distribution and amount of CD34(+) cells in the spleens of mice infected with rodent malaria. We sought to identify these cells in the spleen and determine their relationship to infection. C57BL/6J mice were infected with self-resolving, Plasmodium chabaudi CR, or one of the lethal rodent malaria strains, P. chabaudi AJ and P. berghei ANKA. We then recorded parasitemia, mortality, and the presence of CD34(+) cells in spleen, as determined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. In the non-lethal strain, the spleen structure was maintained during amplification, but disrupted in lethal models. The abundance of CD34(+) cells increased in the red pulp on the 4th and 6th days p.i. in all models, and subsided on the 8th day p.i. Faint CD34(+) staining on the 8th day p.i., was probably due to differentiation of committed cell lineages. In this work, increase of spleen CD34(+) cells did not correlate with infection control.