PVP-Modified Multifunctional Bi₂WO₆ Nanosheets for Enhanced CT Imaging and Cancer Radiotherapy.

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Radiotherapy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Malignant tumors are a leading cause of death, with radiotherapy being a key treatment.
• Tumor radioresistance and normal tissue toxicity limit radiotherapy's effectiveness.
• High-atomic-number inorganic nanomaterials show promise for enhancing radiotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize bismuth tungstate nanosheets (Bi2WO6 NSs) modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).
• To evaluate the potential of PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs as radiosensitizers for tumor radiotherapy.
• To investigate the utility of PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs as contrast agents for X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of Bi2WO6 nanosheets.
• Surface modification with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).
• In vitro studies using γ-H2AX and DCFH-DA probes to assess DNA damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation under X-ray irradiation.
• Clonogenic survival assays to evaluate cell death.
• In vivo studies in animal models.
• X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging experiments.

Main Results:

• PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs effectively enhanced X-ray energy deposition, leading to increased DNA damage and ROS production in cells.
• PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs significantly suppressed tumor cell colony formation under X-ray irradiation.
• Enhanced tumor radiotherapy efficacy was observed in animal models.
• PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs demonstrated significant contrast enhancement in CT imaging.

Conclusions:

• PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs act as effective radiosensitizers by generating free radicals and increasing cellular damage under X-ray irradiation.
• PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs exhibit dual functionality as both a tumor radiotherapy sensitizer and an X-ray CT contrast agent.
• These findings highlight the potential of PVP-Bi2WO6 NSs for combined diagnostic and therapeutic applications in oncology.