Synthesis and characterization of Au@SPIONs functionalized with EGF for Breast Cancer diagnosis and treatment by photodynamic and photothermal therapies

Abstract

Breast Cancer is characterized by the presence of malignant neoplasms, with a high degree of proliferation and metastasis, being the leading cause of death in women in the past years. The available treatments are generally aggressive and low effective. Therefore, it is required to develop new detection methods and nanotechnology can facilitate earlier diagnosis and efficient treatments. Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) presents high saturation magnetization, can be coated with a thin layer of gold and functionalized, which enhances their biomedical applicability to develop a sensitive, rapid and accurate biosensor as Cancer therapy agents. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and photothermal Therapy (PTT) have been used for Cancer treatment, both applying photosensitive molecules, molecular oxygen and lasers. However, every step must be precisely controlled for efficient treatment. An appropriate wavelength of the laser stimulates the activation of the photosensitive molecule, leading to the formation of reactive oxygen species, such as single oxygen, which is toxic and causes cell death. In this context, the present project aims to synthesize SPIONs by coprecipitation method, coat with gold to obtain Au@SPIONs, functionalize with EGF protein for nanoprobes production and study the applicability for PDT and PTT. The physical and hydrodynamic sizes will be characterized, as well as morphology, colloidal stability, crystalline structure, chemical composition and magnetic properties. Subsequently, in vitro studies will be performed to evaluate the antitumor and toxicological activity of PDT, PTT and both therapies combined in MCF 10A and MDA-MB-468 cell lines. Overall, it is expected to obtain a more accurate, rapid and sensitive detection and treatment for Breast Cancer. (AU)