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Salamone TA, Rutigliano L, Pennacchi B, Cerra S, Matassa R, Nottola S, Sciubba F, Battocchio C, Marsotto M, Del Giudice A, Chumakov A, Davydok A, Grigorian S, Canettieri G, Agostinelli E, Fratoddi I. Thiol functionalised gold nanoparticles loaded with methotrexate for cancer treatment: From synthesis to in vitro studies on neuroblastoma cell lines. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 649:264-278. [PMID: 37348346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalised with hydrophilic thiols can be used as drug delivery probes, thanks to their small size and hydrophilic character. AuNPs possess unique properties for their use in nanomedicine, especially in cancer treatment, as diagnostics and therapeutic tools. EXPERIMENTS Thiol functionalised AuNPs were synthesised and loaded with methotrexate (MTX). Spectroscopic and morphostructural characterisations evidenced the stability of the colloids upon interaction with MTX. Solid state (GISAXS, GIWAXS, FESEM, TEM, FTIR-ATR, XPS) and dispersed phase (UV-Vis, DLS, ζ-potential, NMR, SAXS) experiments allowed to understand structure-properties correlations. The nanoconjugate was tested in vitro (MTT assays) against two neuroblastoma cell lines: SNJKP and IMR5 with overexpressed n-Myc. FINDINGS Molar drug encapsulation efficiency was optimised to be >70%. A non-covalent interaction between the π system and the carboxylate moiety belonging to MTX and the charged aminic group of one of the thiols was found. The MTX loading slightly decreased the structural order of the system and increased the distance between the AuNPs. Free AuNPs showed no cytotoxicity whereas the AuNPs-MTX nanoconjugate had a more potent effect when compared to free MTX. The active role of AuNPs was evidenced by permeation studies: an improvement on penetration of the drug inside cells was evidenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso A Salamone
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Lavinia Rutigliano
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Pennacchi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Cerra
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Matassa
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Sapienza University of Rome, Via A. Borelli 50, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Nottola
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Sapienza University of Rome, Via A. Borelli 50, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Sciubba
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; NMR-based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Battocchio
- Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Marsotto
- Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrei Chumakov
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anton Davydok
- Institute of Material Physics, Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Souren Grigorian
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Institute of Physics, University of Siegen, Walter-Flex-Strasse 3, D-57068 Siegen, Germany
| | - Gianluca Canettieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Agostinelli
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; International Polyamines Foundation "ETS-ONLUS", Via del Forte Tiburtino 98, 00159 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Fratoddi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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