Targeted Gold-Nanoparticles Enhanced X-Ray Therapy for Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women worldwide. Despite many advanced treatment techniques, recurrence rates remain high. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are being studied widely as a promising new therapy for oncological research. In previous studies, we have shown that the use of GNPs in conjunction with radiation therapy can enhance cancer cell death by 25-30%. This can reduce cancer reoccurrence rates and also ease the side effects due to radiation treatment by lowering the radiation dosage required for treatment in breast cancer patients. Based upon theoretical calculation performed in our lab, we aim to further increase this enhancement several fold using functionalized GNPs targeted to specific organelles within the cell such as the nuclear membrane, mitochondria to enhance the amount of local energy deposited from radiation. The nuclear membrane is targeted by attaching an SV-40 peptide, while the mitrochondia is targeted using a triphenyl-phosphonium ligand, to the surface of the GNPs. Two breast cancer cell lines will be used in this study, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, both will be maintained and grown in DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum, placed in a 37^°C and 5% CO₂ incubator. Cells will be treated with different concentration of GNPs and targeted GNPs, and undergo x-ray radiation dosages of 0, 5, 10 Gy at 100kVP. Clonogenic assay will be used to measure the cells survival rate. The targeted GNPs should yield a significant increase in cell death compared to using non-targeted GNPs and radiation therapy alone.