title: Pancreatic carcinoma cells are susceptible to noninvasive radio frequency fields after treatment with targeted gold nanoparticles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gold and carbon nanoparticles absorb nonionizing radio frequency (RF) energy and release heat. Solid gold nanoparticles are delivered to cancer cells via conjugation with targeting antibodies. Here, 20-nm gold particles were conjugated to cetuximab, which is an epidermal growth factor receptor-1 (EGFR-1) antibody.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pancreatic carcinoma cell line that highly expresses EGFR-1, Panc-1, and Cama-1, which is a breast carcinoma cell line that minimally expresses EGFR-1, were treated with 100-nmol/L cetuximab-conjugated gold nanoparticles for 3 h (n = 4). Thirty-six hours later, the dishes were placed in an RF field with a generator power of 200 W for 5 min. After another 36 h, cell injury and death were evaluated with flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The targeted cell line Panc-1 had a viability of 46% +/- 12%, whereas the Cama-1 cell had a viability of 92% +/- 2% after RF field exposure (P < .008). Transmission electron microscopy showed gold nanoparticle uptake in Panc-1 cells but negligible uptake by Cama-1 cells. Nontargeted cells do not internalize a sufficient amount of antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles to induce injury in a noninvasive RF field.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique could be useful in cancer treatment if a cancer-specific antibody is used to localize gold nanoparticles to malignant cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Evan S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Katheryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.forename: Cihui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Curley
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D000068818:Cetuximab; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006046:Gold / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000078702:Radiofrequency Therapy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D006046:Gold; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000068818:Cetuximab