Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Toxicity Study of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Cell Culture and in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: September 19, 2019
Synergetic Effect of Tumor Treating Fields and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Cell Apoptosis and Genotoxicity of Three
Mamdouh M Shawki1, Alaa El Sadieque1,2, Seham Elabd3
1Medical Biophysics Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21561, Egypt.
Abstract:
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, despite extraordinary progress. So, new cancer treatment modalities are needed. Tumor-treating fields (TTFs) use low-intensity, intermediate-frequency alternating electric fields with reported cancer anti-mitotic properties. Moreover, nanomedicine is a promising therapy option for cancer. Numerous cancer types have been treated with nanoparticles, but zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) exhibit biocompatibility. Here, we investigate the activity of TTFs, a sub-lethal dose of ZnO NPs, and their combination on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), the colorectal cancer cell line (HT-29), and breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7). The lethal effect of different ZnO NPs concentrations was assessed by sulforhodamine B sodium salt assay (SRB). The cell death percent was determined by flow cytometer, the genotoxicity was evaluated by comet assay, and the total antioxidant capacity was chemically measured. Our results show that TTFs alone cause cell death of 14, 8, and 17% of HepG2, HT-29, and MCF-7, respectively; 10 µg/mL ZnO NPs was the sub-lethal dose according to SRB results. The combination between TTFs and sub-lethal ZnO NPs increased the cell death to 29, 20, and 33% for HepG2, HT-29, and MCF-7, respectively, without reactive oxygen species increase. Increasing NPs potency using TTFs can be a novel technique in many biomedical applications.
Insights
Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) combined with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) show enhanced cancer cell death. This novel combination therapy offers a promising approach for treating various cancers, including liver, colon, and breast cancer.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanomedicine
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer is a leading global cause of death, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) utilize electric fields with anti-mitotic properties.
- Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) offer biocompatibility and have shown promise in cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of TTFields, sub-lethal ZnO NPs, and their combination against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colorectal cancer (HT-29), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines.
- To assess the impact of this combined therapy on cell death, genotoxicity, and antioxidant capacity.
- To explore the potential of enhancing nanoparticle potency through TTFields for biomedical applications.
Main Methods:
- Sulforhodamine B sodium salt assay (SRB) to determine lethal concentrations of ZnO NPs.
- Flow cytometry to quantify cancer cell death percentages.
- Comet assay to evaluate genotoxicity and chemical assays for total antioxidant capacity.
Main Results:
- TTFields alone induced 14%, 8%, and 17% cell death in HepG2, HT-29, and MCF-7 cells, respectively.
- A sub-lethal dose of 10 µg/mL ZnO NPs was identified via SRB assay.
- The combination of TTFields and sub-lethal ZnO NPs significantly increased cell death to 29%, 20%, and 33% in HepG2, HT-29, and MCF-7 cells, respectively, without increasing reactive oxygen species.
Conclusions:
- The combination of TTFields and sub-lethal ZnO NPs demonstrates enhanced anti-cancer effects across multiple cancer cell lines.
- This synergistic approach offers a novel strategy for cancer therapy by potentiating nanoparticle efficacy.
- Further research into TTFields-enhanced nanomedicine holds significant potential for diverse biomedical applications.
