title: Photo-thermal effect enhances the efficiency of radiotherapy using Arg-Gly-Asp peptides-conjugated gold nanorods that target αvβ3 in melanoma cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thermotherapy has been known to be one of the most effective adjuvants to radiotherapy (RT) in cancer treatment, but it is not widely implemented clinically due to some limitations, such as, inadequate temperature concentrations to the tumor tissue, nonspecific and non-uniform distribution of heat. So we constructed arginine-glycine-aspartate peptides-conjugated gold nanorods (RGD-GNRs) that target the alpha(v) beta(3) Integrin (αvβ3) and investigate whether the photo-thermal effect of RGD-GNRs by near infrared radiation (NIR) could enhance the efficiency of RT in melanoma cancer cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RGD-GNRs could be seen both on the surface of the cell membranes and cytoplasm of A375 cells with high expression of αvβ3. After exposed to 808 nm NIR, RGD-GNRs with various concentrations could be rapidly heated up. Compared to other treatments, flow cytometric analysis indicated that RT + NIR + RGD-GNRs increased apoptosis (p < 0.001) and decreased the proportion of cells in the more radioresistant S phase (p = 0.014). Treated with NIR + RGD-GNRs, the radiosensitivity was also significantly enhanced (DMFSF2: 1.41).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the current study showed the feasibility of using RGD-GNRs for synergetic RT with photo-thermal therapy. And it would greatly benefit the therapeutic effects of refractory or recurrent malignant cancers.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. liping529@gmail.com.|Department of Radiation Oncology, 6th People's Hospital of Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. liping529@gmail.com.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Li
authors: School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. stonysyw@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors: Yi-Wen
authors: YW
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, 6th People's Hospital of Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. lbx_2005@126.com.
authors: Bing-Xin
authors: BX
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhengzhou University He'nan Cancer Center, Zhengzhou, He'nan, People's Republic of China. xu0706001@163.com.
authors: Wen-Cai
authors: WC
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, 6th People's Hospital of Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. szl0812@yahoo.cn.
authors: Ze-Liang
authors: ZL
authors: Shi
authors: School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. zhoucq@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors: Chuanqing
authors: C
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. shen_fu@hotmail.com.|Department of Radiation Oncology, 6th People's Hospital of Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. shen_fu@hotmail.com.
authors: Shen
authors: S
authors: Fu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods; D007259:Infrared Rays; D039302:Integrin alphaVbeta3 / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010789:Phototherapy
chemical_list: D039302:Integrin alphaVbeta3; D009842:Oligopeptides; D006046:Gold; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid