Synthesis of PEGylated Ferrocene Nanoconjugates as the Radiosensitizer of Cancer Cells.
Radiation is one of the most widely used methods for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Herein, we report a new type of radiation sensitizer (Fc-PEG) by a facile one-step reaction of conjugating the hydrophilic PEG chain with hydrophobic ferrocene molecule. The chemical composition and structure of Fc-PEG have been thoroughly characterized by FT-IR, NMR, GPC, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. This Fc-PEG conjugate could self-assemble in aqueous solution into spherical aggregates, and it was found that the exposure to 4 Gy of X-ray radiation have little influence on the shape and size of these aggregates. After the chemical bonding with PEG chains, the uptake level of Fe element could be enhanced via the formation of aggregates. The live/dead, CCK-8, as well as apoptosis assays, indicated that the death of cancer cells can be obviously increased by X-ray radiation after the incubation of these Fc-based nanoconjugates, which might be served as the radiation sensitizer toward cancer cells. We suggest that this radiosensitizing effect comes from the enhancement of reactive oxygen specimen (ROS) level as denoted by both flow cytometric and fluorescence microscopic analysis. The enhanced radiation sensitivity of cancer cells is contributed by the synergic effect of Fe-induced radiation-sensitizing and the increased uptake of nanoconjugates after polymeric grafting.
Jian
J
Tian
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and General Hospital of Nuclear Industry , Suzhou 215004, China.
Jie
J
Chen
Cuicui
C
Ge
Xu
X
Liu
Jinlin
J
He
Peihong
P
Ni
Yue
Y
Pan
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D060326:Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D000075163:Metallocenes; D051379:Mice; D058726:Nanoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D000075163:Metallocenes; D058726:Nanoconjugates; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C004998:ferrocene