⁸⁹Zr Labeled Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ Nanoparticles: In Vitro Afffinities with Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Theranostics

Background:

• Development of multifunctional nanoparticles for advanced medical imaging and therapy is crucial.
• Hybrid imaging agents offer synergistic advantages over single-modality approaches.
• Iron oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles possess unique magnetic and optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles as a novel PET/MRI hybrid imaging agent.
• To evaluate the potential of these nanoparticles for cancer cell targeting and multimodal therapy.
• To radiolabel the nanoparticles with 89Zr for PET imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles using electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering.
• Radiolabeling of nanoparticles with 89Zr using a bifunctional ligand (Df-Bz-NCS).
• In vitro evaluation of cancer cell affinity, cytotoxicity, and therapeutic efficacy (PDT, RT).

Main Results:

• Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized with 100% radiolabeling yield.
• Nanoparticles demonstrated affinity for breast and prostate cancer cells.
• Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited fluorescence, unlike Fe3O4 nanoparticles, indicating photodynamic therapy potential.
• Multimodal treatment combining PDT and RT showed efficacy in PC3 prostate cancer cells.

Conclusions:

• Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles are a promising multifunctional agent for PET/MRI hybrid imaging.
• The inherent fluorescence of Fe3O4@TiO2 nanoparticles opens avenues for photodynamic therapy.
• These nanoparticles hold significant potential for multimodal cancer treatment, combining imaging and therapeutic capabilities.