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Schwartz-Duval A, Mackeyev Y, Mahmud I, Lorenzi PL, Gagea M, Krishnan S, Sokolov KV. Intratumoral Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoclusters by Pancreatic Cancer to Overcome Delivery Barriers to Radiosensitization. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1865-1881. [PMID: 38206058 PMCID: PMC10811688 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c04260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Nanoparticle delivery to solid tumors is a prime challenge in nanomedicine. Here, we approach this challenge through the lens of biogeochemistry, the field that studies the flow of chemical elements within ecosystems as manipulated by living cellular organisms and their environments. We leverage biogeochemistry concepts related to gold cycling against pancreatic cancer, considering mammalian organisms as drivers for gold nanoparticle biosynthesis. Sequestration of gold nanoparticles within tumors has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to enhance radiotherapy; however, the desmoplasia of pancreatic cancer impedes nanoparticle delivery. Our strategy overcomes this barrier by applying an atomic-scale agent, ionic gold, for intratumoral gold nanoparticle biosynthesis. Our comprehensive studies showed the cancer-specific synthesis of gold nanoparticles from externally delivered gold ions in vitro and in a murine pancreatic cancer model in vivo; a substantial colocalization of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with cancer cell nuclei in vitro and in vivo; a strong radiosensitization effect by the intracellularly synthesized GNPs; a uniform distribution of in situ synthesized GNPs throughout the tumor volume; a nearly 40-day total suppression of tumor growth in animal models of pancreatic cancer treated with a combination of gold ions and radiation that was also associated with a significantly higher median survival versus radiation alone (235 vs 102 days, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron
S. Schwartz-Duval
- Department
of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Yuri Mackeyev
- Vivian
L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University
of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Iqbal Mahmud
- Department
of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Philip L. Lorenzi
- Department
of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Mihai Gagea
- Department
of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, The
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Sunil Krishnan
- Vivian
L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University
of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Konstantin V. Sokolov
- Department
of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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2
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Zimmermann M, Gerken LRH, Wee S, Kissling VM, Neuer AL, Tsolaki E, Gogos A, Lukatskaya MR, Herrmann IK. X-ray radio-enhancement by Ti 3C 2T x MXenes in soft tissue sarcoma. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:7826-7837. [PMID: 37878039 PMCID: PMC10697419 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm00607g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment. However, due to the low tissue specificity of ionizing radiation, damage to the surrounding healthy tissue of the tumor remains a significant challenge. In recent years, radio-enhancers based on inorganic nanomaterials have gained considerable interest. Beyond the widely explored metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, 2D materials, such as MXenes, could present potential benefits because of their inherently large specific surface area. In this study, we highlight the promising radio-enhancement properties of Ti3C2Tx MXenes. We demonstrate that atomically thin layers of titanium carbides (Ti3C2Tx MXenes) are efficiently internalized and well-tolerated by mammalian cells. Contrary to MXenes suspended in aqueous buffers, which fully oxidize within days, yielding rice-grain shaped rutile nanoparticles, the MXenes internalized by cells oxidize at a slower rate. This is consistent with cell-free experiments that have shown slower oxidation rates in cell media and lysosomal buffers compared to dispersants without antioxidants. Importantly, the MXenes exhibit robust radio-enhancement properties, with dose enhancement factors reaching up to 2.5 in human soft tissue sarcoma cells, while showing no toxicity to healthy human fibroblasts. When compared to oxidized MXenes and commercial titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the intact 2D titanium carbide flakes display superior radio-enhancement properties. In summary, our findings offer evidence for the potent radio-enhancement capabilities of Ti3C2Tx MXenes, marking them as a promising candidate for enhancing radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Zimmermann
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Lukas R H Gerken
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Shianlin Wee
- Electrochemical Energy Systems Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vera M Kissling
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Anna L Neuer
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Elena Tsolaki
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Gogos
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Maria R Lukatskaya
- Electrochemical Energy Systems Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Inge K Herrmann
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St Gallen, Switzerland
- The Ingenuity Lab, University Hospital Balgrist, Balgrist Campus, Forchstrasse 340, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Gerken LRH, Gerdes ME, Pruschy M, Herrmann IK. Prospects of nanoparticle-based radioenhancement for radiotherapy. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:4059-4082. [PMID: 37555747 PMCID: PMC10544071 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00265a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is a key pillar of solid cancer treatment. Despite a high level of conformal dose deposition, radiotherapy is limited due to co-irradiation of organs at risk and subsequent normal tissue toxicities. Nanotechnology offers an attractive opportunity for increasing the efficacy and safety of cancer radiotherapy. Leveraging the freedom of design and the growing synthetic capabilities of the nanomaterial-community, a variety of engineered nanomaterials have been designed and investigated as radiosensitizers or radioenhancers. While research so far has been primarily focused on gold nanoparticles and other high atomic number materials to increase the absorption cross section of tumor tissue, recent studies are challenging the traditional concept of high-Z nanoparticle radioenhancers and highlight the importance of catalytic activity. This review provides a concise overview on the knowledge of nanoparticle radioenhancement mechanisms and their quantification. It critically discusses potential radioenhancer candidate materials and general design criteria for different radiation therapy modalities, and concludes with research priorities in order to advance the development of nanomaterials, to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy and to increase at the same time the therapeutic window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas R H Gerken
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Maren E Gerdes
- Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Pruschy
- Laboratory for Applied Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Inge K Herrmann
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Neuer AL, Vogel A, Gogos A, Kissling VM, Tsolaki E, Herrmann IK. Metal-Organic Framework Mediated Radio-Enhancement Assessed in High-Throughput-Compatible 3D Tumor Spheroid Co-Cultures. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023:e2300075. [PMID: 37178330 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic nanomaterials have gained increasing attention in radiation oncology, owing to their radiation therapy enhancing properties. To accelerate candidate material selection and overcome the disconnect between conventional 2D cell culture and in vivo findings, screening platforms unifying high-throughput with physiologically relevant endpoint analysis based on 3D in vitro models are promising. Here, a 3D tumor spheroid co-culture model based on cancerous and healthy human cells is presented for the concurrent assessment of radio-enhancement efficacy, toxicity, and intratissural biodistribution with full ultrastructural context of radioenhancer candidate materials. Its potential for rapid candidate materials screening is showcased based on the example of nano-sized metal-organic frameworks (nMOFs) and direct benchmarking against gold nanoparticles (the current "gold standard"). Dose enhancement factors (DEFs) ranging between 1.4 and 1.8 are measured for Hf-, Ti-, TiZr-, and Au-based materials in 3D tissues and are overall lower than in 2D cell cultures, where DEF values exceeding 2 are found. In summary, the presented co-cultured tumor spheroid-healthy fibroblast model with tissue-like characteristics may serve as high-throughput platform enabling rapid, cell line-specific endpoint analysis for therapeutic efficacy and toxicity assessment, as well as accelerated radio-enhancer candidate screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lena Neuer
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Vogel
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Gogos
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Vera M Kissling
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Elena Tsolaki
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Inge K Herrmann
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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5
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Neuer AL, Jessernig A, Gerken LRH, Gogos A, Starsich FHL, Anthis AHC, Herrmann IK. Cellular fate and performance of group IV metal organic framework radioenhancers. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:6558-6569. [PMID: 36215095 PMCID: PMC9641950 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00973k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Nano-sized metal organic frameworks (nanoMOFs) have gained increasing importance in biomedicine due to their tunable properties. In addition to their use as carriers in drug delivery, nanoMOFs containing hafnium have been successfully employed as radio-enhancers augmenting damage caused by X-ray irradiation in tumor tissue. While results are encouraging, there is little mechanistic understanding available, and the biological fate of these radio-enhancer nanoparticles remains largely unexplored. Here, we synthesized a selection of group IV metal-based (Hf, Ti, Ti/Zr) nanoMOFs and investigated their cell compatibility and radio-enhancement performance in direct comparison to the corresponding metal oxides. We report surprising radio-enhancement performance of Ti-containing nanoMOFs reaching dose modifying ratios of 3.84 in human sarcoma cells and no relevant dose modification in healthy human fibroblasts. These Ti-based nanoMOFs even outperformed previously reported Hf-based nanoMOFs as well as equimolar group IV metal oxides in direct benchmarking experiments. While group IV nanoMOFs were well-tolerated by cells in the absence of irradiation, the nanoMOFs partially dissolved in lysosomal buffer conditions showing distinctly different chemical stability compared to widely researched group IV oxides (TiO2, ZrO2, and HfO2). Taken together, this study illustrates the promising potential of Ti-based nanoMOFs for radio-enhancement and provides insight into the intracellular fate and stability of group IV nanoMOFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lena Neuer
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Jessernig
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas R H Gerken
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Gogos
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian H L Starsich
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre H C Anthis
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Inge K Herrmann
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Process Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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