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Novel Salinomycin-Based Paramagnetic Complexes-First Evaluation of Their Potential Theranostic Properties
Irena Pashkunova-Martic1, Rositsa Kukeva2, Radostina Stoyanova2
1Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Molecular and Structural Preclinical Imaging, Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna & General Hospital of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Novel salinomycin (Sal)-based theranostic probes show promise for cancer treatment. These agents, using gadolinium (Gd(III)) or manganese (Mn(II)) for MRI, offer enhanced cancer cell killing and diagnostic imaging capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Theranostics combine therapeutic and diagnostic agents for simultaneous disease treatment and imaging.
- Conventional contrast agents (CAs) lack specificity, limiting their application in targeted therapies.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a key diagnostic tool in oncology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel salinomycin (Sal)-based theranostic probes for MRI.
- To evaluate the potential of these probes as theranostic agents for cancer treatment.
- To assess the efficacy and imaging capabilities of Sal-Gd(III) and Sal-Mn(II) complexes.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of Sal-Gd(III) and Sal-Mn(II) complexes.
- Loading of complexes into bacterial ghosts (BGs) for enhanced delivery.
- In vitro relaxivity measurements and cell culture studies using human tumor cell lines.
Main Results:
- Sal-Gd(III) and Sal-Mn(II) complexes demonstrated enhanced cytotoxic efficacy against human tumor cell lines compared to controls.
- The agents induced cell cycle perturbations in colorectal and breast cancer cell lines.
- Relaxivity values of the Sal-complexes and BGs-loaded complexes were comparable or superior to clinical MRI contrast agents.
Conclusions:
- Gd(III) and Mn(II) complexes of Sal show potential as theranostic agents for MRI-guided cancer therapy.
- The selectivity and mode of action of Sal contribute to their therapeutic potential.
- These theranostic agents could enable early cancer diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response.
