ROS-Mediated Anti-Angiogenic Activity of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles in Melanoma Cells

Joel M Yong1, Lu Fu1, Fengying Tang1,2

  • 1Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Level 5, Samuels Building, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

Insights

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) effectively reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibit angiogenesis in cancer cells. This study optimized nanoceria synthesis for potential use as a novel anti-cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Nanotechnology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Angiogenesis, driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS), is crucial for cancer progression and metastasis.
  • Current anti-angiogenic therapies like anti-VEGF antibodies face limitations in efficacy, cost, and side effects.
  • Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) show potential for modulating ROS in biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To optimize the synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) for controlled primary particle size.
  • To investigate the anti-angiogenic effects of synthesized nanoceria on a human melanoma cell line.
  • To explore nanoceria as a potential component of novel combination cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a fractional factorial experimental design to study the impact of synthesis parameters (temperature, precipitating agent concentration/rate, stirring rate, surfactant concentration) on nanoceria particle size.
  • Synthesized faceted nanoceria with primary particle diameters of 5-6 nm.
  • Assessed nanoceria cytotoxicity, cellular internalization, intracellular ROS modulation, and angiogenic gene expression (including VEGF) in Mel1007 melanoma cells.

Main Results:

  • Established a robust synthesis method yielding nanoceria with controlled 5-6 nm primary particle size.
  • Demonstrated that nanoceria are non-cytotoxic to Mel1007 cells at doses up to 400 μg/mL.
  • Observed dose-dependent internalization of nanoceria, leading to reduced intracellular ROS and a correlated dose-dependent decrease in angiogenic gene expression, including VEGF.

Conclusions:

  • Optimized nanoceria synthesis provides a tunable platform for potential anti-cancer therapeutics.
  • Nanoceria exhibit promising anti-angiogenic properties by reducing ROS and inhibiting key angiogenic factors like VEGF.
  • These findings support the development of nanoceria as a novel therapeutic agent for combination cancer treatments.