Efficacy of Dipeptide-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles in Lung Cancer Models Under Pulsed Electromagnetic Field

ABSTRACT

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and the overall 5-year survival rate is less than 17%. Hyperthermia is an alternative approach for the treatment of lung cancer and is associated with fewer side effects. We employed ironoxide nanoparticles in inducing localized hyperthermia in lung cancer cells using a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). We synthesized, characterized and determined the uptake of dipeptide-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Further, their ability in inducing localized hyperthermia in PEMF on lung cancer cells was assessed. Results showed nanoparticles are non-cytotoxic and showed enhanced cellular uptake in lung cancer cells. In vivo studies in nude mice lung tumor xenografts confirmed the presence in the tumors. Lung cancer cells pretreated with dipeptide-coated magnetic nanoparticles upon PEMF exposure induced cell death.

KEYWORDS:

• Iron oxide
• PEMF
• hyperthermia
• heat shock
• apoptosis
• lung cancer
• dipeptide coating

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support and encouragement of Prof. S. P. Thyagarajan, Professor of Eminence & Dean (Research), Prof. S. Thanikachalam, Director, CEFT, and Dr. Solomon F. D. Paul, Professor & Head, Department of Human Genetics, Sri Ramachandra University. We thank Dr. T. Malini for help with confocal microscopy and SAIF, IITM for assistance with VSM and ICP-OES.

Author contributions

GV, VSC and RS conceived the project. GB conducted most of the experiments and MR, JJP, AK, SS, CSB, BD contributed to conducting part of the experiments. GB, GV, and RSK analyzed and interpreted the data. VSC, GV and RSK reviewed the manuscript. All authors have approved the final manuscript.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Funding

RSK acknowledges the financial support of Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Grant BT/PR14340/NNT/28/860/2015. GB acknowledges Sri Ramachandra University Bristol Meyers Squibb research fellowship.