Immuno-Hyperthermia Effected By Antibody-Conjugated Nanoparticles Selectively Targets And Eradicates Individual Cancer Cells

Hyperthermia has been used for cancer therapy for along period of time, but has shown limited clinical efficacy. Induction-heating hyperthermia using the combination of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and an alternating magnetic field (AMF), termed magnetic hyperthermia (MHT), has previously shown efficacy in an orthotopic mouse model of disseminated gastric cancer. In the present study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), atype of MNP, were conjugated with an anti-HER2 antibody, trastuzumab and termed anti-HER2-antibody-linked SPION nanoparticles (anti-HER2 SPIONs). Anti-HER2 SPIONs selectively targeted HER2-expressing cancer cells co-cultured along with normal fibroblasts and HER2-negative cancer cells and caused apoptosis only in the HER2-expressing individual cancer cells. The results of the present study show proof-of-concept of anovel hyperthermia technology, immuno-MHT for selective cancer therapy, that targets individual cancer cells. Abbreviations AMF: alternating magnetic field DDW: double distilled water DMEM: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium f: frequency FBS: fetal bovine serum FITC: Fluorescein isothiocyanate GFP: green fluorescent protein H: amplitude Hsp: heat shock protein MHT: magnetic hyperthermia MNPs: magnetic nanoparticles PI: propidium iodide RFP: red fluorescent protein SPION: superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle