Pegylated Eu-enabled submicron alumina spheres as potential theranostics agent RD cell line as model.

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed to synthesis and evaluate PEGylated Eu enabled spherical alumina submicron particles (s-Al2O3:Eu) for potential theranostic applications. METHODS: This study is bisected into two parts, a) synthesis of PEGylated Eu enabled spherical alumina submicron particles (s-Al2O3:Eu), and b) characterization of the synthesized particles to determine their efficacy for potential theranostic applications.The synthesis of the particles involved the following steps. In the first step, s-Al2O3:Eu is synthesized using solvothermal synthesis. In the next step, the particles undergo post synthesis water-ethanol treatment and calcination. The surface of the synthesized s-Al2O3:Eu particles is then coated by PEG to increase its biocompatibility.Once the particles are prepared, they are characterized using different techniques. The microstructure, composition and structure of the particles is characterized using SEM, EDX and XRD techniques. The detection of the functional groups is done using FTIR analysis. The photoluminescence emission spectrum of s-Al2O3:Eu is studied using Photoluminescence spectroscopy. And, finally, the biocompatibility is studied using MTT assay on RD cell lines. RESULTS: The microstructure analysis, from the micrographs obtained from SEM, shows that the spherical alumina particles have a submicron size with narrow size distribution. The compositional analysis, as per EDX, confirms the presence of Oxygen, Aluminum and Europium in the particles. While, XRD analysis of s-Al2O3:Eu confirms the formation of alpha alumina phase after calcination at 700 °C. Emission peaks, obtained by Photoluminescence emission spectroscopy, show that the optimum emission intensities correspond to the transition from 5D0 to 7Fj orbital of Eu+3. FTIR analysis confirms the successful coating of PEG. Finally, a cell viability of more than 86% is observed when the biocompatibility of the particles is studied, using MTT assay on RD cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: s-Al2O3:Eu with narrow distribution are successfully synthesized. Structural and functional characterizations support the suitability of s-Al2O3:Eu as potential theranostic agent.

Study of synergistic effects of Ficus Carica leaves extract mediated chemo-photodynamic therapy on rhabdomyosarcoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy for rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) is effective, but it has critical side effects and unavoidable challenges. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approach to treating cancer with relatively moderate side effects. Plant products are a rich source of polyphenols, which have potent antioxidant and anticancer activities. Therefore, their research has become an emerging field in recent decades. PURPOSE: This work aimed to evaluate the potential of hydrophobic extract of Ficus Carica (FC) to determine whether FC in the presence of low dose chemo and Aluminium Phthalocyanine (Photosense®) mediated photodynamic therapy synergistically enhances the treatment efficacy of RD cells. METHOD: FC with and without combination with individual therapeutic modalities like photosense mediated photodynamic therapy, chemotherapy, and their combinations were studied for cell viability and morphological changes in invitro RD cells. A semiconductor diode laser (630 nm) was used as a light source in PDT. The cytotoxic effect of FC on cell viability and cellular morphological changes were investigated by MTT reagent and a camera attached to an inverted visible light microscope. The effect of FC, followed by di-combination with low dose chemo (doxorubicin-HCl, and dacarbazine), Photosense® mediated PDT and chemo-Photosense® mediated PDT (tri-combination) at 630 nm diode laser and 10 J/cm2 fluency were also investigated by MTT reagent. The combination index method is used to identify the synergistic effect of combination therapy by using CompuSyn software based on the Chou-Talalay method. RESULTS: The dose-dependent effect of FC on cell viability and cellular morphological changes were observed in the RD cell line. It was found that the pre incubation of FC potentiated the anticancer effect as a neoadjuvant agent for doxorubicin-HCl and decarbazine based chemotherapy, Photosense® mediated PDT and chemo-PDT (tri-combination) with synergistic effect (CI<1). CONCLUSION: These results suggest a possible thread that the low dose combination of the aforementioned therapeutic modalities in the presence of FC remarkably enhances the treatment efficacy of RD in comparison with a single-agent treatment modality. The proposed sequence of FC with chemo and PDT might present better therapeutic outcomes in RD therapies and may provide result for RD metastasis. FC may also be used in the application of phyto-PDT to cancer in the future.

Two-dimensional transition metal carbide (Ti3C2Tx) as an efficient adsorbent to remove cesium (Cs+).

Industrial utilization of nuclear resources greatly depends on the effective treatment of nuclear waste. The efficient removal of radioactive nuclides from liquid effluents by using different adsorbents has thus become crucial. Herein, for the first time, two-dimensional transition metal carbides (MXenes) are investigated as scavengers of cesium (Cs+) from contaminated water. Due to the combined advantages of the layered structure and the presence of heterogeneous sites (hydroxyl, oxygen and fluorine groups), the adsorbent reached the steady state within 1 min with the maximum Cs+ adsorption capacity of 25.4 mg g-1 at room temperature. The kinetics studies of the Cs+ scavenging process demonstrated that the adsorption of Cs+ followed the pseudo-second-order model whereas the adsorption equilibrium data obeyed the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic. The adsorbent showed an excellent Cs+ removal efficiency in neutral to slightly alkaline solutions. Moreover, it can retain Cs+ even in the presence of a high concentration of competing cations (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Sr2+). The Cs+ loaded adsorbent was regenerated with a 0.2 M HCl solution and reused at least five times for over 91% removal of contaminants.