Chlorin e6-EGF conjugated gold nanoparticles as a nanomedicine based therapeutic agent for triple negative breast cancer.

To develop a treatment modality for triple-negative breast cancer, we investigated the efficacy of a bifunctional theranostic nanoprobes (BN) during Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) on human breast carcinoma and normal human cells. The BN is a 21 nm gold nanoparticles functionalized with Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). Attachment to gold nanoparticle stabilizes Ce6 while EGF acts as a cancer cell targeting agent. Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy revealed a gradual uptake of nanoprobes into cancer cells at an average rate of 63 BN/min. Cell viability assays showed that 0.2 µg/mL BN concentration was highly cytotoxic to cancer cells (86 %), but not normal cells. At this concentration, 58 % cancer cells were necrotic and 38 % apoptotic, while the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was 9-fold higher in cancer cells compared to normal. Overall, results suggest that BN mediated PDT can achieve targeted cancer cell death with high efficiency.