title: Radiotherapy enhancement with gold nanoparticles.
abstract: Gold is an excellent absorber of X-rays. If tumours could be loaded with gold, this would lead to a higher dose to the cancerous tissue compared with the dose received by normal tissue during a radiotherapy treatment. Calculations indicate that this dose enhancement can be significant, even 200% or greater. In this paper, the physical and biological parameters affecting this enhancement are discussed. Gold nanoparticles have shown therapeutic efficacy in animal trials and these results are reviewed. Some 86% long-term (>1 year) cures of EMT-6 mouse mammary subcutaneous tumours was achieved with an intravenous injection of gold nanoparticles before irradiation with 250-kVp photons, whereas only 20% were cured with radiation alone. The clinical potential of this approach is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Nanoprobes, Inc., 95 Horseblock Road, Yaphank, NY 11980-9710, USA. hainfeld@nanoprobes.com
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hainfeld
authors.forename: F Avraham
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Dilmanian
authors.forename: Daniel N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Slatkin
authors.forename: Henry M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Smilowitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006046:Gold / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D006046:Gold