Theranostic Cancer Treatment Using Lentinan-Coated Selenium Nanoparticles and Label-Free CEST MRI

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

• Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) show promise in cancer therapy, but effective drug delivery remains a challenge.
• Theranostic approaches integrating imaging with SeNPs are desirable for image-guided delivery.
• Current methods often involve chemical conjugation, hindering clinical translation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a label-free theranostic system using lentinan-functionalized SeNPs (LNT-SeNPs) for enhanced cancer treatment.
• To utilize lentinan's properties for both nanoparticle functionalization and MRI signal generation.
• To improve the tumor-specific delivery of LNT-SeNPs through combination therapy.

Main Methods:

• Developed lentinan-functionalized SeNPs (LNT-SeNPs) for label-free MRI detection via the hydroxyl protons on lentinan.
• Evaluated LNT-SeNPs' anticancer efficacy in vitro and their detectability using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI.
• Investigated the co-administration of LNT-SeNPs with TNF-α to enhance intratumoral drug delivery in a mouse CT26 tumor model.

Main Results:

• LNT-SeNPs exhibited strong anticancer effects in CT26 colon tumor cells (IC50 = 4.8 μM) by generating reactive oxygen species.
• In vivo studies showed that LNT-SeNPs alone had poor tumor delivery, but co-injection with TNF-α increased intratumoral LNT-SeNP delivery by 75%, confirmed by CEST MRI.
• Combination therapy with LNT-SeNPs and TNF-α significantly improved tumor growth inhibition.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated the first label-free, SeNP-based theranostic system using lentinan for surface coating and CEST MRI signal generation.
• The LNT-SeNP system offers high biocompatibility and reduced translational barriers due to the absence of chemical labeling.
• Combination therapy with TNF-α effectively enhances the delivery and therapeutic efficacy of SeNP-based nanotherapeutics.