Magnetoplasmonic Nanoheterodimers for Synergistic Enhancement of Cancer Therapy

Our primary research objective is to design magnetically targeting magnetoplasmonic nanoheterodimers as multimodal nanotherapeutics for synergistic cancer therapy. Therefore, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were merged with gold nanospheres, nanoclusters, or nanopatches, either through a thermal decomposition procedure or via a facile coprecipitation synthesis. SPIONs with sizes around 20 nm were shown to feature superparamagnetism as well as perform an enormous capacity as X-ray dosage enhancer when internalized by tumor cells [1,2]. The Au-SPION nanoheterodimers combine high-Z material with catalytically active Fe3O4 surfaces and moreover, plasmonic properties with superparamagnetic performance [3]. The X-ray enhancing effect was demonstrated to be increased by endowing the Au and Fe3O4 surfaces with charged and distinctly, specifically acting chemical moieties as being for instance, nitrosyl tetrafluoroborate and S-nitroso glutathione. We could substantiate synergistic interactions between X-ray exposed Au and SPION surfaces, which were manifest by the simultaneous production of the nitric oxide radical at the SPION surface and the superoxide radical at the Au surface. The surface-confined reaction between these radicals generated peroxynitrite. This highly reactive species may cause nitration of mitochondrial proteins, lipid peroxidation, and induces DNA strand breaks. Therefore, high concentrations of peroxynitrite are expected to give rise to severe cellular energetic derangements and thereupon, entail rapid cell death.