title: Bifunctional combined Au-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles for induction of cancer cell-specific apoptosis and real-time imaging.
abstract: We demonstrate bifunctional combined Au-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles (NPs) for selectively induction of apoptosis in cancer cells and real-time imaging. The as-prepared Au-Fe(2)O(3) NPs combine the merits of both Au and γ-Fe(2)O(3) NPs, maintaining excellent fluorescence quenching property and catalytic activity. Conjugated with α(Ⅴ)β(3) integrin-targeting peptide (RGD) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled capsase-3 recognition sequence (DEVD) on the Au surface, the resulting RGD/FITC-DEVD-Au-Fe(2)O(3) NPs bind preferentially to integrin α(Ⅴ)β(3)-rich human liver cancer cells (HepG2), sequentially initiate catalytic formation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and enable the real-time monitoring of·OH-induced caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in these cancer cells. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of RGD/FITC-DEVD-Au-Fe(2)O(3) NPs is much higher than that of individual γ-Fe(2)O(3) NPs due to the polarization effect at the Au-Fe(2)O(3) interface. Such bifunctional Au-Fe(2)O(3) NPs exhibit simultaneous targeting, therapeutic and imaging functions and are therefore promising for future therapeutic applications in cancer.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Engineering Research Center of Pesticide and Medicine Intermediate Clean Production, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lifei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guanwei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Kehua
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D003199:Computer Systems; D006046:Gold / Q000627:therapeutic use; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008422:Materials Testing; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D013481:Superoxides; D006046:Gold