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Cancer Therapy and Imaging Through Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Magnetite and Gold Nanoparticles as a Multimodal Tool

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Abstract

Pharmacotherapy and imaging are two critical facets of cancer therapy. Carbon nanotubes and their modified species such as magnetic or gold nanoparticle conjugated ones they have been introduced as good candidates for both purposes. Gold nanoparticles enhance effects of X-rays during radiotherapy. Nanomaterial-mediated radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia refers to using RF to heat tumors treated with nanomaterials for cancer therapy. The combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy, synergistically, causes a significant reduction in X-ray doses. The present study was conducted to investigate the ability and efficiency of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with magnetic Fe3O4 and gold nanoparticles (mf-MWCNT/AuNPs) for imaging and cancer therapy. The mf-MWCNT/AuNPs were utilized for imaging approaches such as ultrasounds, CT scan, and MRI. They were also examined in thermotherapy and radiotherapy. The MCF-7 cell line was used as an in vitro model to study thermotherapy and radiotherapy. The mf-MWCNT/AuNPs are beneficial as a contrast agent in imaging by ultrasounds, CT scan, and MRI. They are also radio waves and X-rays absorbent and enhance the efficiency of thermotherapy and radiotherapy in the elimination of cancer cells. The valuable properties of mf-MWCNT/AuNPs in radio- and thermotherapies and imaging strategies make them a good candidate as a multimodal tool in cancer therapy.

The mf-MWCNT/AuNPs are beneficial as a contrast agent in imaging by US (ultrasounds), CT scan, and MRI. They are also radio waves and X-rays absorbent and enhance the efficiency of thermotherapy and radiotherapy in the elimination of cancer cells. The valuable properties of the mf-MWCNT/AuNPs in radio- and thermotherapies and imaging strategies make them a good candidate as a multimodal tool in cancer therapy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan, Iran, for support and funding. They also thank Mehraneh charity for providing them with an ONCOR Digital Medical Linear Accelerator siemens (6 MV X-ray radiation) for radiotherapy and hyperthermia system Celsius 42 for thermotherapy.

Funding

This work was funded by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran.

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Author notes

  1. Fatemeh Saghatchi and Masoud Mohseni-Dargah contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), GavaZang, Zanjan, Iran

    Fatemeh Saghatchi & Babak Kaboudin

  2. Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), GavaZang, Zanjan, Iran

    Masoud Mohseni-Dargah & Shiva Akbari-Birgani

  3. Research Center for Basic Sciences and Modern Technologies (RBST), Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic sciences (IASBS), GavaZang, Zanjan, Iran

    Shiva Akbari-Birgani & Babak Kaboudin

  4. Research Center for Biomedical Technologies and Robotics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Samaneh Saghatchi

Authors
  1. Fatemeh Saghatchi
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  2. Masoud Mohseni-Dargah
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  3. Shiva Akbari-Birgani
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  4. Samaneh Saghatchi
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  5. Babak Kaboudin
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Contributions

Fatemeh Saghatchi*: Conceptualization, Nanoparticle preparation, Methodology, Investigation, Validation, and Writing – Original Draft. Masoud Mohseni-Dargah*: Methodology, Software, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Validation, and Writing – Review & Editing. Shiva Akbari-Birgani: Project Administration, Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, and Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review and Editing. Samaneh Saghatchi: Imaging investigation. Babak Kaboudin: Nanoparticle preparation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiva Akbari-Birgani.

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Saghatchi, F., Mohseni-Dargah, M., Akbari-Birgani, S. et al. Cancer Therapy and Imaging Through Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Magnetite and Gold Nanoparticles as a Multimodal Tool. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 191, 1280–1293 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-020-03280-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-020-03280-3

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