Sub-cellular accumulation of magnetic nanoparticles in breast tumors and metastases

• Published in: Biomaterials Vol. 27; no. 9; pp. 2001 - 2008
• Main Authors: Zhou, Jikou, Leuschner, Carola, Kumar, Challa, Hormes, Josef F., Soboyejo, Winston O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2006
• Subjects: AFM; Animals; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - chemistry; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cell Nucleus - chemistry; Cell Nucleus - pathology; Female; Ferric Compounds - analysis; Ferric Compounds - pharmacokinetics; Iron oxide; Liver - chemistry; Liver - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - chemistry; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - secondary; Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH); Magnetics; Metastases; Mice; Mice, Nude; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Receptors, LHRH - analysis; TEM; AFM; Breast cancer; Iron oxide; TEM; Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH); Metastases
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.10.013

In this study, the sub-cellular accumulation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in breast tumors and peripheral organs were investigated. MNPs were conjugated with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), whose receptors are expressed by most types of breast cancer cells. After the nanoparticles were injected into female nude mice bearing MDA-MB-435S.luc tumors, the mice were sacrificed to collect tumors and peripheral organs for biological and TEM analyses. LHRH conjugated SPIONs (LHRH- SPIONs) were found to accumulate in cancer cells, mainly in the primary tumors and the metastatic lungs, where they aggregated to form clusters. In contrast, most of the unconjugated SPIONs were collected in the liver cells. The results suggest that LHRH- SPIONs can be used to target cancer cells in the primary breast tumors and the lung metastases. TEM is also shown to be a useful tool for the studies of sub-cellular distributions of SPIONs in tumors and tissues.