title: Gold nanoparticle imaging and radiotherapy of brain tumors in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test intravenously injected gold nanoparticles for x-ray imaging and radiotherapy enhancement of large, imminently lethal, intracerebral malignant gliomas.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Nanoprobes, Inc., 95 Horseblock Road, Unit 1 Yaphank, NY 11980, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hainfeld
authors.forename: Henry M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Smilowitz
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Farrokh Avraham
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Dilmanian
authors.forename: Daniel N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Slatkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006046:Gold / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D006046:Gold