epidermal-growth-factor and phytochlorin

To develop a treatment modality for triple-negative breast cancer, we investigated the efficacy of a bifunctional theranostic nanoprobes (BN) during Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) on human breast carcinoma and normal human cells. The BN is a 21 nm gold nanoparticles functionalized with Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). Attachment to gold nanoparticle stabilizes Ce6 while EGF acts as a cancer cell targeting agent. Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy revealed a gradual uptake of nanoprobes into cancer cells at an average rate of 63 BN/min. Cell viability assays showed that 0.2 μg/mL BN concentration was highly cytotoxic to cancer cells (86 %), but not normal cells. At this concentration, 58 % cancer cells were necrotic and 38 % apoptotic, while the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was 9-fold higher in cancer cells compared to normal. Overall, results suggest that BN mediated PDT can achieve targeted cancer cell death with high efficiency.

Topics: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Chlorophyllides; Epidermal Growth Factor; Gold; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Nanomedicine; Nanoparticles; Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

Conformation of protein is vital to its function, but may get affected when processing to manufacture products. It is therefore important to understand structural changes during each step of production. In this study, we investigate secondary structure changes in the targeting protein Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) during synthesis of theranostic bifunctional nanoparticle, devised for Photodynamic therapy of breast cancer. We acquired FTIR spectra of EGF; unconjugated, post treatment with α-lipoic acid, attached to gold nanoparticle, and bound to the bifunctional nanoprobe. We observed decreasing disordered structures and turns, and increasing loops, as the synthesis process progressed. There was an overall increase in β-sheets in final product compared to pure EGF, but this increase was not linear and fluctuated. Previous crystal structure studies on EGF-EGFR complex have shown loops and β-sheets to be important in the binding interaction. Since our study found increase in these structures in the final product, no adverse effect on binding function of EGF was expected. This was confirmed by functional assays. Such studies may help modify synthesis procedures, and thus secondary structures of proteins, enabling increased functionality and optimum results.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Chlorophyllides; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Female; Gold; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Neoplasm Proteins; Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Protein Binding; Protein Structure, Secondary; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Thioctic Acid

Certain tumor cells, such as squamous carcinoma cells, express an increased number of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors. Therefore, we studied the targeted delivery of the photocytotoxic compound Sn-(IV)chlorin e6 monoethylenediamine [SnCe6(ED)] to tumors that overexpress the EGF receptor. EGF was conjugated to SnCe6(ED) through a carrier, such as dextran (Dex) and human serum albumin (HSA), and the photocytotoxicity on the EGF receptor-overexpressing MDA-MB-468 breast adenocarcinoma cell line was evaluated. The photobiological activities of these EGF conjugates, of the conjugates of the photosensitizer to HSA or Dex, or of the photosensitizer alone were compared. The affinity of EGF for its receptor was substantially impaired when conjugated in EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED), in contrast to EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED). In corresponding results, EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) displayed a high photocytotoxicity (IC50, 63 nM) on MDA-MB-468 cells at a light dose of 27 kJ/m2, whereas EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) showed very limited photocytotoxicity. EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) was no longer photocytotoxic in the presence of a competing EGF concentration. The high photocytotoxicity of EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) was shown to be the result of a high intracellular concentration in MDA-MB-468 cells, which could be lowered dramatically by incubating the conjugate with a competing EGF concentration. In contrast, EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) accumulated poorly in MDA-MB-468 cells, in agreement with its low EGF receptor affinity and photocytotoxicity. EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) produced much more intracellular reactive oxygen species on light irradiation than EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED). It is concluded that the photodynamic activity of the EGF-HSA conjugate of SnCe6(ED) on MDA-MB-468 breast adenocarcinoma cells is EGF specific and is much more potent than EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) or free SnCe6.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Binding, Competitive; Biological Transport; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Division; Chlorophyllides; Dextrans; Drug Synergism; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Photochemotherapy; Porphyrins; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; Reactive Oxygen Species; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Serum Albumin; Substrate Specificity; Transfection; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Certain tumor cells, such as squamous carcinoma cells, express an increased number of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors. The goal of this study was the targeted delivery of the photocytotoxic compound Sn(IV)chlorine e6 monoethylenediamine++ (SnCe6(ED)) to tumors that overexpress the EGF receptor. Therefore EGF was conjugated to SnCe6(ED) through a carrier, such as dextran (Dex) and human serum albumin (HSA), followed by the evaluation of the photocytotoxicity on the EGF receptor overexpressing MDA-MB-468 cell line. The photobiologic activity of these conjugates was then compared to a conjugate of the photosensitizer to HSA or dextran, or to the photosensitizer alone. In contrast to EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED), the affinity of EGF for its receptor was substantially impaired upon conjugation in EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED). In correlation with these results, EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) displayed a high cytotoxicity (IC50, 63 nM) on MDA-MB-468 cells at a light dose of 27 kJ/m2, whereas EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) showed very limited photocytotoxicity. In the presence of a competing EGF concentration (10 microM), EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) was not cytotoxic anymore. The high photocytoxicity of EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) was shown to be a result of a high intracellular concentration in MDA-MB-468 cells, which could be lowered dramatically by incubating the conjugate with a competing EGF concentration. In contrast, EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) displayed very poor accumulation in MDA-MB-468 cells, in agreement with its low EGF receptor affinity and photocytoxicity. Besides, it could be demonstrated that EGF-HSA-SnCe6(ED) produced intracellularly ROS (reactive oxygen species) upon light irradiation, more than EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) did. It was concluded that, in contrast to EGF-Dex-SnCe6(ED) the photodynamic activity of the EGF-HSA conjugate of SnCe6(ED) on MDA-MB-468 breast adenocarcinoma cells is EGF-specific and more potent than free SnCe6(ED).

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Binding, Competitive; Breast Neoplasms; Chlorophyllides; Dextrans; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Humans; Male; Mice; Photochemotherapy; Porphyrins; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; Serum Albumin; Tumor Cells, Cultured