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To solve the traditional radiotherapy obstacles, and also to enhance the radiation therapy efficacy various radiosensitizers have been developed. Radiosensitizers are promising agents that under X-ray irradiation enhance injury to tumor tissue by accelerating DNA damage. In this report, silver-silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag-Ag 2 S NPs) were synthesized via a facile, one-pot and environmentally friendly biomineralization method. Ag-Ag 2 S was coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in situ and applied as an X-ray sensitizer to enhance the efficiency of radiotherapy. Also, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to Ag-Ag 2 S@BSA to impart active targeting capability to the final formulation (Ag-Ag 2 S@BSA-FA). Prepared NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Results show that most of the NPs have well-defined uniform Janus structures. The biocompatibility of the NPs was then evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. A series of in vitro assays were performed on 4T1 cancer cells to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the designed NPs. In addition, the radio-enhancing ability of the NPs was tested on the 4T1 breast cancer murine model. MTT, live and dead cell staining, apoptosis, ROS generation, and clonogenic in vitro assays demonstrated the efficacy of NPs as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. In vivo results as well as H&E staining tumor tissues confirmed tumor destruction in the group that received Ag-Ag 2 S@BSA-FA NPs and exposed to X-ray. The results showed that prepared tumor-targeted Ag-Ag 2 S@BSA-FA NPs could be potential candidates as radiosensitizers for enhanced radiotherapy., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

This study aimed to develop a novel radiosensitizer consisting of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) as a high-atomic-number element in order to maximize the generation of ROS under ionizing radiation at the tumor site. Pt NPs were produced via a green and facile method in the presence of gelatin (Gel) as both reducing and stabilizing agent. After determining the physical structure and chemical composition of Pt@Gel NPs by STEM, FeSEM, EDS, DLS, XRD and FTIR, in vitro cytotoxicity on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and breast cancer cell line (4T1) was evaluated by MTT assay. Finally, ROS generation assay, calcein AM/PI staining assay and clonogenic test were performed on 4T1 cells under X-Ray irradiation to evaluate the radioenhancment efficiency of Pt@Gel. The prepared NPs exhibited spherical and uniform shapes and narrowly distributed sizes in addition to an acceptable radiosensitization capability. The nanosystem provided higher levels of intracellular ROS in malignant cells and enhanced cancer cell death rate under X-Ray irradiation. Overall, the findings suggested that Pt@Gel could be a safe and effective alternative to existing radiosensitizers and potentially be employed for the treatment of breast cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Noble metals as high atomic number elements can localize X-ray radiation within tumor cells by exploiting different mechanisms. Here, alginate (Alg)-coated platinum nanoparticles (Pt@Alg) were synthesized, characterized, and implemented as a radiosensitizer to enhance X-ray therapeutic efficacy in breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. Alg not only improves the biocompatibility of the radioenhancer, but also stabilizes the nanoparticles. Pt@Alg was studied by different characterization methods including DLS, STEM, Fe-SEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The nanosystem provided a higher level of intracellular ROS in malignant cells and enhanced cancer cell death under X-Ray irradiation. Clonogenic assay also demonstrated the radiosensitizing properties of the nanosystem, in vitro. In vivo result show tumor growth restraining properties of the nanosystem when it was administrated along with X-Ray irradiation. Histopathology results confirmed the impact of nanosystem and X-ray co-treatment, as well. Altogether, the importance of radiosensitizers for improving radiotherapy outcomes was highlighted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Radiation therapy has demonstrated promising effectiveness against several types of cancers. X-ray radiation therapy can be made further effective by utilizing nanoparticles of high-atomic-number (high-Z) materials that act as radiosensitizers. Here, in purpose of maximizing the radiation therapy within tumors, bovine serum albumin capped gadolinium oxide and gold nanoparticles (Gd 2 O 3 @BSA-Au NPs) are developed as a bimetallic radiosensitizer. In this study, we incorporate two high-Z-based nanoparticles, Au and Gd, in a single nanoplatform. The radiosensitizing ability of the nanoparticles was assessed with a series of in vitro tests, following evaluation in vivo in a breast cancer murine model. Enhanced tumor suppression is observed in the group that received radiation after administration of Gd 2 O 3 @BSA-Au NPs. As a result, cancer therapy efficacy is significantly improved by applying Gd 2 O 3 @BSA-Au NPs under X-ray irradiation, as evidenced by studies evaluating cell viability, proliferation, reactive oxygen species production, and in vivo anti-tumor effect.

The goal of this work is to harness the advantages of a targeted hybrid nanostructure, BSA-coated Fe 3 O 4 (F)-Au heterodimer, as a radiosensitizer and co-delivery vehicle of chemotherapeutic drugs for enhanced synergic cancer therapy and protection of healthy tissues. F-Au-BSA-MTX-CUR combines the abilities of enhanced X-ray radiation therapy (F-Au), long blood circulation time (BSA), tumor targeting (MTX), enhanced chemotherapy (MTX and CUR), and protection of normal cells against the harmful effects of radiation (CUR). In this work, we present the radioprotective and radiosensitizing effects of CUR on normal tissues and the tumor site, respectively. After technical evaluation, drug loading, drug release behavior, hemolysis assay, transfection efficacy, and cellular uptake studies with fluorescence microscopy, the biosafety and toxicity of the nanostructure was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Also, to confirm its power to improve synergistic chemoradiation therapy in mice, the antitumor effects of the designed treatment plan were assessed in a 4T1-tumor bearing mouse model. The in vivo antitumor effect evaluation interestingly reveals outstanding therapeutic power of the final formulation (F-Au-BSA-MTX-CUR) and further requirement of CUR as a radioprotective. This result importantly revealed the radioprotection effect of CUR. Co-delivery of the chemotherapeutic drugs MTX and CUR, combined with the radiosensitizing effect of the F-Au heterodimer and the radioprotective effect of CUR, showed promising prospects in cancer therapy.

The application of nanoparticles (NPs) as radio-sensitizers and carriers has opened up a new horizon to overcome the limitations of chemo and radiotherapy. In this study, bovine serum albumin-coated Bi 2 S 3 NPs (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA NPs) were synthesized and evaluated in terms of their ability to be used as a radio-sensitizer and carrier for methotrexate (MTX). Physicochemical properties of MTX conjugated Bi 2 S 3 @BSA NPs (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-MTX NPs) were characterized by DLS, TEM, FTIR, UV/Vis, and XRD analyses. After the evaluation of cellular uptake and intracellular localization, the cytotoxicity of the combination of Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-MTX NPs and X-Ray radiation was analyzed against the SW480 cell line. The synthesized NPs exhibited spherical-like shapes and homogenous morphology, possessing a hydrodynamic diameter of 140.2 ± 5.71 nm (mean ± SD) and zeta potential of -25 mV. Also, the release study showed that the release of MTX is faster and higher in the presence of the proteinase K enzyme than the absence of the enzyme. The results of in-vitro chemo-radiation therapy indicated that the viability of treated cells with Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-MTX NPs is significantly lower than the cells treated with Bi 2 S 3 @BSA NPs. Furthermore, cells treated with Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-MTX NPs showed a lower degree of viability when combined with X-Ray radiation in comparison with the absence of irradiation, which confirmed the ability of the Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-MTX NPs as radio-sensitizer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High atomic number Z, nanoparticles are able to enhance the photoelectric and Compton effects under X-Ray irradiation resulting the increase of radiation therapy efficacy. To achieve enhanced radiation therapy, Bi 2 S 3 biocompatible particles coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA HNPs) were prepared through a BSA-mediated biomineralization procedure under green conditions. Then, to achieve improved chemo-radiation therapy against HT-29 cancer cells, curcumin (CUR) as natural anti-cancer therapy agent loaded on the Bi 2 S 3 @BSA (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA@CUR HNPs). Next, this synthesized nanodrug was evaluated for physical and chemical properties and in vitro cytotoxicity studies. Here, in vitro enhanced chemo-radiation combination therapy power was evaluated against HT-29 cell line under 2 Gy and 6 Gy X-ray irradiation doses. The Bi 2 S 3 @BSA HNPs without irradiation rarely affect cell viability which shown the non-toxicity of Bi 2 S 3 @BSA HNPs. The result of this study proved that Bi 2 S 3 @BSA@CUR HNPs can be used as both proficient vehicles for effective delivery of CUR and radiosensitizer in the treatment of cancer. In addition, the result of this study confirmed that the combination of high Z-element nanoradiosensitizer, Bi 2 S 3 @BSA HNPs, with a natural anti-cancer drug, CUR, enhanced therapeutic power against HT-29 cells.

Combination therapy such as radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy has attracted excessive interest in the new cancer research area. Therefore, developing nanobiomaterials for combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is required for more powerful and successful cures. Because of the amazing X-ray sensitization proficiency of Bi based nanoparticles, in this work, we synthesized and used Bi 2 S 3 as an enhancer of X-ray radiation therapy, and furthermore, Bi 2 S 3 served as carrier of curcumin (CUR), a chemotherapy drug, for the goal of combination therapy. Additionally, we selected and conjugated folic acid (FA) as a targeting molecule for the direction of the designed system to the tumor site. After characterization of drug loaded FA conjugated Bi 2 S 3 @BSA nanoparticles (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-FA-CUR) and in vitro and in vivo safety assessment, we applied it for enhanced chemotherapy and X-ray radiation therapy in cancer cells and a tumor bearing mice model. Moreover, the CT contrast ability of synthesized nanoparticles was examined. Here, we (1) for the first time developed the novel and targeted CUR loaded Bi 2 S 3 @BSA (Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-FA-CUR) to promote chemoradiation therapy in 4T1 cells and breast tumor in mice; (2) found the synthesized nanoparticles to have good stability; (3) injected a single dose of the designed radiosensitizer for cancer therapy; and (4) used a conventional X-ray dose, 2Gy, for X-ray radiation therapy. The result of in vivo X-ray radiotherapy shows that the mice tumors vanished near 3 weeks after radiation. Interestingly, these results show that Bi 2 S 3 @BSA-FA-CUR with the aid of X-ray can clearly promote the efficacy of chemoradiation therapy.

In this project methotrexate (MTX) conjugated albumin based nanoparticles (MTX-BSA) loaded with curcumin (CUR) drug (CUR-MTX-BSA) for simultaneous delivery of multi-chemotherapeutic drugs and combination cancer therapy were designed. Co-delivery is a new strategy which minimize the amount of each drug, reduce of side effects and also to achieve the synergistic effect for cancer therapies. The MTX was conjugated to albumin via covalent bond. Next, this synthesized prodrug loaded with CUR. Afterward, the formulations were evaluated for physical and chemical properties by DLS, TEM, FTIR, UV/Vis, DSC analysis, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility studies. Furthermore, the drug loading and release study were evaluated. Proteinase K enzyme was used to break amid bond between MTX and BSA and also amidic bonds in BSA structure. Administration of up to 2000 mg/kg of BSA to healthy animals was non-toxic and all treated mice were still alive after 24 h. The result of this study proved that CUR-MTX-BSA can be used as a proficient vehicle for effective co-delivery of CUR and MTX in the treatment of cancer., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nowadays, the use of nanostructures in various medical and biological fields such as drug delivery in cancer treatment is increasing. Among the nanostructures, graphene oxide (GO) is an excellent candidate for drug delivery application because of its unique properties. For more stability, GO can bind with various polymers by its carboxyl, hydroxyl and epoxy functional groups. In this study, firstly GO synthesized by the improved Hummers chemical method and then polyethylene glycol polymer was conjugated to it by using EDC/NHS catalyst. Finally, curcumin (Cur) as anti-cancer drug has been loaded onto the PEGylated graphene oxide (GO-PEG). Next, curcumin loaded onto PEGylated graphene oxide (GO-PEG-Cur) were evaluated by using ultraviolet, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, atomic microscopic force and dynamic light scattering. The amount of loaded drug was calculated about 4.5% with the help of the standard curcumin curve and UV/Vis spectrometer. Also, the result of release shows that maximum drug release rate for this nanocarrier in pH 5.5 and 7.4 was measured 50% and 60%, respectively, after 96 hours. The results showed that the zeta-potential analysis of GO-PEG-Cur was about -13.9 mV that expresses a negative surface charge for produced nanocarrier.

This work described a folic acid conjugated delivery of chrysin-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles, which could overcome the nonspecific targeting disadvantage. Chrysin (5, 7-dihydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid which have some significant biological effects on the processes of chemical defense. Chrysin loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (Chrysin-BSA NPs) were synthesized by a simple desolvation procedure. Afterward, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to the surface of Chrysin-BSA NPs by carbodiimide chemistry (Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs). The resultant Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs showed a spherical shape, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 97.5 ± 5.8 nm (mean ± SD) nm and a ζ-potential of -11.3 mV. The in vitro drug release study of chrysin presented a sustained and controlled release pattern. Hemolysis assay and cytotoxicity study results on HFF-2 cell line show that as prepared BSA NPs are biocompatible. Both the Chrysin-BSA NPs and Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs prompted an enhanced cancer cell cytotoxic effect in contrast to chrysin solution. These data recommended that the folate-modified chrysin -loaded vehicle, which demonstrated better biocompatibility and potential superiority, could be a suitable cancer therapy in targeting tumors in the future., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)