title: The cytotoxic effects of lipidic formulated gold porphyrin nanoparticles for the treatment of neuroblastoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nanotechnology has been identified as a promising platform in the improvement of the design and development of drug delivery systems. In the present study we investigated the potential of lipidic nanoparticles consisting of gold porphyrin for the treatment of neuroblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  To characterize the size of the lipidic gold porphyrin nanoparticles, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in vitro cytotoxic effect on neuroblastoma activity was examined using XTT cell proliferation assay, then IC50 values were calculated. In vivo safety and toxicity were studied using intraperitoneal injection of gold porphyrin nanoparticles into normal animals. Finally, tumor size measurement and animal survival were studied to investigate the therapeutic effect of lipidic gold porphyrin nanoparticles on neuroblastoma growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that incorporation of gold porphyrin into lipidic nanoparticles resulted in a 16-fold increase in size. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity studies further showed that the lipidic gold porphyrin nanoparticles could decrease systemic toxicity, as well as inhibiting tumor growth following administration into the neuroblastoma bearing mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The delivery of lipidic gold porphyrin nanoparticles by incorporation with lipidic formulation is feasible approach to treat neuroblastoma. We await further studies to evaluate tumor killing kinetics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Puiyan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jessie J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Raymond Wy
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Xuelai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chi-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Kenneth Ky
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wong
keywords: gold porphyrin; lipidic formulation; nanoparticles; neuroblastoma