title: Gold nanoparticles as dose-enhancement agent for kilovoltage X-ray therapy of melanoma.
abstract: Melanoma is mainly treated by surgery and rarely with radiation because of the high radioresistance of this tumor. Nevertheless, radiotherapy is the preferred treatment modality for unresectable lesions and avoiding cosmetic disfigurement caused by surgical excision. This study investigated the therapeutic advantage of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for kilovoltage X-ray treatment of melanoma.
  
  
  
  Commercial AuNPs were evaluated for cytotoxicity and cellular internalization. The sensitivity of human skin melanoma cells to 150 and 450 kVp X-ray exposure was assessed in terms of clonogenicity with or without spherical AuNP treatment.
  
  
  
  AuNP treatment elicited dose enhancement effect on melanoma cells exposed to kilovoltage X-rays. Treatment with 320 μM 50 nm AuNPs before exposure to 150 kVp X-rays at 2 Gy resulted in clonogenic cell death equivalent to that caused by 4.3 Gy X-rays without AuNP treatment.
  
  
  
  AuNPs of 50 nm in size can regulate melanoma cells in kilovoltage X-ray treatment by functioning as dose-enhancement agent and thus improving radioresponse of the cells. Melanomas of stages T1-T3 gain therapeutic benefits from 150 kVp X-ray treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Radiation Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Engineering , Seoul National University , Gwanak-gu, Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: So-Ra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: a Radiation Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Engineering , Seoul National University , Gwanak-gu, Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006046:Gold / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000379:methods; D012867:Skin; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D006046:Gold
keywords: Gold nanoparticle; dose-enhancement agent; kilovoltage X-rays; melanoma; skin cancer