RADIOSENSITIZATION OF PROSTATE CARCINOMA CELLS BY PEGYLATED METALLIC NANOPARTICLES TO PROTON IRRADIATION

Abstract

One of the main goals of cancer radiation therapy is to reduce the dose to healthy tissues while maximizing the dose to malignant tissue. A special class of materials known as "radiosensitizers" has emerged that can help achieve this goal by increasing the response of cells and tissues to radiation. High-Z metallic nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles, have been studied as radiosensitizers due to their associated increase in secondary electron emission when irradiated leading to an increase in DNA damage. To increase the biocompatilibity of metallic nanoparticles, different surface coatings have been explored, including Polyethylene-glycol (PEG). This research explored the use of PEG-coated metallic nanoparticles as radiosensitizers in prostate cancer (22Rv1) cells. These cells were plated in the ECU Cell Culture Laboratory and then transferred to the ECU Accelerator Laboratory where they were irradiated with a 3-MeV proton beam. The radiosensitization effect of the PEG-coated metallic nanoparticles was determined using PrestoBlue assays to construct cell survival curves. Several parameters including the concentration and material of the nanoparticles were explored. By enhancing the sensitivity of the cells to radiation with these PEG-coated metallic nanoparticles, the overall dose applied to patients undergoing radiation therapy could be lowered while still effectively treating the cancerous tissue. This reduction of dose would spare surrounding healthy tissue resulting in fewer side effects.