Abstract
Background
Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the main treatments for men with prostate cancer (PCa). Yet, to date, with numerous sophisticated nano-formulations as radiosensitizers have been synthesized with inspiring therapeutic effect both in vitro and in vivo, there still lacks the successful clinical translation of such nanosystems. Meanwhile, almost all the attention has been paid on the enhanced dose deposition effect by secondary electrons of nanomaterials with high atomic numbers (Z), despite that cell-cycle arrest, DNA damage and also reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are critical working mechanisms accounting for radiosensitization.
Methods
Herein, an ‘all-purpose’ nanostrategy based on dose deposition enhancement, cell cycle arrest and ROS production as prostate cancer radiosensitizer for potential clinical translation was proposed. The rather simple structure of docetaxel loaded Au nanoparticles (NPs) with prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand conjugation have been successfully synthesized by a rather facile protocol.
Results
Enhanced cellular uptake achieved via selective internalization of the NPs by PCa cells with positive PSMA expression could guarantee the enhanced dose deposition. Moreover, the as-synthesized nanosystem could arrest cell cycle at G2/M phases, which would reduce the ability of DNA damage repair for more irradiation sensitive of the PCa cells. Meanwhile, G2/M phases arrest would further promote cascade retention and enrichment of the NPs within the cells. Furthermore, ROS generation and double strand breaks greatly promoted by the NPs under irradiation (IR) could also provide an underlying basis for effective radiosensitizers.
Conclusions
Investigations from in vitro and in vivo confirmed the as-synthesized NPs as an effective nano-radiosensitizer with ideal safety. More importantly, all the moieties within the present nanosystem have been approved by FDA for the purpose of PCa treatment, thus making the it highly attractive for clinical translation.
Eupalinolide J induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial membrane potential disruption and DNA damage in human prostate cancer cells