Open AccessGold nanoparticle imaging and radiotherapy of brain tumors in mice
Author(s) -
James F. Hainfeld,
Henry M. Smilowitz,
Michael J. O’Connor,
F.A. Dilmanian,
Daniel N. Slatkin
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
nanomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1748-6963
pISSN - 1743-5889
DOI - 10.2217/nnm.12.165
Subject(s) - colloidal gold , radiation therapy , nuclear medicine , medicine , brain tumor , irradiation , glioma , pathology , nanoparticle , radiology , cancer research , materials science , nanotechnology , physics , nuclear physics
Aim: To test intravenously injected gold nanoparticles for x-ray imaging and radiotherapy enhancement of large, imminently lethal, intracerebral malignant gliomas. Materials & methods: Gold nanoparticles approximately 11 nm in size were injected intravenously and brains imaged using microcomputed tomography. A total of 15 h after an intravenous dose of 4 g Au/kg was administered, brains were irradiated with 30 Gy 100 kVp x-rays. Results: Gold uptake gave a 19:1 tumor to normal brain ratio with 1.5% w/w gold in tumor, calculated to increase local radiation dose by approximately 300%. Mice receiving gold and radiation (30 Gy) demonstrated 50% long term (>1 year) tumor-free survival, whereas all mice receiving radiation only died. Conclusion: Intravenously injected gold nanoparticles cross the blood–tumor barrier, but are largely blocked by the normal blood–brain barrier, enabling high-resolution computed tomography tumor imaging. Gold radiation enhancement significantly improved long-term survival compared with radiotherapy alone. This approach holds promise to improve therapy of human brain tumors and other cancers. Original submitted 14 February 2012; Revised submitted 16 September 2012; Published online 24 December 2012