Preliminary Assays towards Melanoma Cells Using Phototherapy with Gold-Based Nanomaterials
Joana Lopes1, João Miguel Pinto Coelho2, Pedro Manuel Cardoso Vieira3
1Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
Abstract:
Cancer like melanoma is a complex disease, for which standard therapies have significant adverse side effects that in most cases are ineffective and highly unspecific. Thus, a new paradigm has come with the need of achieving alternative (less invasive) and effective therapies. In this work, biocompatible gold nanoparticles (GNPs) coated with hyaluronic acid and oleic acid were prepared and characterized in terms of size, morphology and cytotoxicity in the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and two cell lines, the keratinocytes (healthy skin cells, HaCat) and the melanoma cells (B16F10). Results showed that these GNPs absorb within the near-infrared region (750-1400 nm), in the optical therapeutic window (from 650 to 1300 nm), in contrast to other commercial gold nanoparticles, which enables light to penetrate into deep skin layers. A laser emitting in this region was applied and its effect also analyzed. The coated GNPs showed a spherical morphology with a mean size of 297 nm without cytotoxic effects towards yeast and tested cell lines. Nevertheless, after laser irradiation, a reduction of 20% in B16F10 cell line viability was observed. In summary, this work appears to be a promising strategy for the treatment of non-metastatic melanoma or other superficial tumors.
Insights
Researchers developed biocompatible gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for melanoma treatment. These GNPs, when combined with near-infrared laser therapy, demonstrated a 20% reduction in melanoma cell viability, offering a promising, less invasive therapeutic strategy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Standard cancer therapies, including for melanoma, often lack specificity and cause significant side effects.
- There is a critical need for alternative, less invasive, and more effective therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
- Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) offer potential for targeted therapies due to their unique optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize biocompatible gold nanoparticles (GNPs) coated with hyaluronic acid and oleic acid.
- To evaluate the efficacy of these GNPs in combination with near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation for melanoma treatment.
- To assess the safety profile of the developed GNPs regarding cytotoxicity.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of hyaluronic acid and oleic acid-coated GNPs, including size, morphology, and optical absorption.
- Cytotoxicity assessment of GNPs against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, HaCaT (keratinocytes), and B16F10 (melanoma) cell lines.
- Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of NIR laser-irradiated GNPs on melanoma cell viability.
Main Results:
- The synthesized GNPs exhibited spherical morphology with a mean size of 297 nm.
- GNPs absorbed light in the near-infrared (NIR) region (750-1400 nm), aligning with the optical therapeutic window (650-1300 nm) for deep tissue penetration.
- No significant cytotoxicity was observed for the GNPs alone, but NIR laser irradiation in the presence of GNPs reduced B16F10 melanoma cell viability by 20%.
Conclusions:
- Hyaluronic acid and oleic acid-coated GNPs are biocompatible and possess suitable optical properties for photothermal therapy.
- The combination of these GNPs with NIR laser irradiation shows promise as a targeted and less invasive treatment for non-metastatic melanoma.
- Further research is warranted to explore the potential of this strategy for superficial tumors.
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