Hyperthermia, as an independent modality or in combination with standard cancer treatments such as
chemotherapy and radiation, has been established in vitro and in vivo as an effective cancer treatment.
However, despite efforts over the past 25 years, such therapies have never been optimized or widelyaccepted
clinically. Although methods continue to improve,
conventionally-delivered heat (RF, ultrasound,
microwave etc) can not be delivered in a tumor selective manner. The development of antibody-targeted, or
even nontargeted, biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) now allows delivery of cytotoxic heat to
individual cancer cells. Using a murine mouse mammary adenocarcinoma (MTGB) and human colon
carcinoma (HT29) cells, we studied the biology and treatment of IONP hyperthermia tumor treatment.
Methods: Cancer cells (1 x 106) with or without iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) were studied in culture or
in vivo via implanted subcutaneously in female C3H mice, Tumors were grown to a treatment size of 150
mm3 and tumors volumes were measured using standard 3-D caliper measurement techniques. Mouse
tumors were heated via delivery of an alternating magnetic field, which activated the nanoparticles, using a
cooled 36 mm diameter square copper tube induction coil which provided optimal heating in 1.5 cm wide
region of the coil. The IONPs were dextran coated and had a hydrodynamic radius of approximately 100
nm. For the in vivo studies, intra-tumor, peritumor and rectal (core body) temperatures were continually
measured throughout the treatment period. Results: Although some eddy current heating was generated in
non-target tissues at the higher field strengths, our preliminary IONP hyperthermia studies show that whole
mouse AMF exposure @160 KHz and 400 or 550 Oe, for a 20 minutes (heat-up and protocol heating),
provides a safe and efficacious tumor treatment. Initial electron and light microscopic studies (in vitro and
in vivo) showed the 100 nm used in our studies are rapidly taken up and retained by the tumor cells.
Additional in vitro studies suggest antibodies can significantly enhance the cellular uptake of IONPs.
The development of medical grade iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) has renewed interest in hyperthermia cancer
therapy. Because of their modifiable size and heating capabilities under an AC magnetic field (alternating magnetic
field, AMF), IONPs have the potential to damage or kill cells in a manner more therapeutically efficient than
previous hyperthermia techniques. The use of IONPs in hyperthermia cancer therapy has prompted numerous
questions regarding the cytotoxic mechanism associated with IONP heat therapy and if such mechanism is different
(more or less effective) with respect to conventional hyperthermia techniques.
In this in vitro study, we determine the immediate and long-term (24 hours) cytotoxic effects of isothermal IONP
hyperthermia treatment versus a conventional global heating technique (water bath). Using the same heating time
and temperature we showed significantly greater cytotoxicity in IONP-heated cells as opposed to water bath-treated
cells. We postulate that the difference in treatment efficacy is due to the spatial relationship of particle-induced
thermal damage within cells. Although the exact mechanism is still unclear, it appears likely that intracellular IONPs
have to achieve a very high temperature in order to heat the surrounding environment; therefore it is reasonable to
assume that particles localized to specific areas of the cell such as the membrane can deliver exacerbated injury to
those areas. In this experiment, although detectable global temperature for the particle-heated cells stands
comparable to the conventional heat treatment, particle-induced cell death is higher. From the results of this study,
we propose that the mechanism of IONP hyperthermia renders enhanced cytotoxicity compared to conventional
waterbath hyperthermia at the same measured thermal dose.
The use of nanoparticles in medical treatment has prompted the question of their safety. In this study, the
pathophysiology and biodistribution of three different concentrations of intravenously-delivered dextran-coated Fe3O4
iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) were evaluated in mice. Some groups of mice were exposed to an AC magnetic field
(AMF) at levels comparable with those proposed for cancer treatments. Iron biodistribution analysis for both AMF and
non-AMF treated mice was performed for all three concentrations used (.6 mg Fe/mouse, 1.8 mg Fe/mouse, and 5.6 mg
Fe/mouse). Blood urea nitrogen, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total serum protein, and creatinine were
also assessed at 4 hours, 7 days, and 14 days post-injection. Histological analysis of lung, spleen, heart, liver, and kidney
tissue was conducted at 7 and 14 days post-injection. Prussian blue and H&E stains were used to histomorphometrically
assess iron content in the tissues studied. Preliminary results demonstrate small temporary elevation in liver enzymes and
hepatocyte vacuolization at all iron concentrations studied. Liver and spleen were the primary sites of IONP deposition.
None of the animals demonstrated systemic or local toxicity or illness, with or without AMF activation.
The potential synergism and benefit of combined hyperthermia and radiation for cancer treatment is well established, but has yet to be optimized clinically. Specifically, the delivery of heat via external arrays /applicators or interstitial antennas has not demonstrated the spatial precision or specificity necessary to achieve appropriate a highly positive therapeutic ratio. Recently, antibody directed and possibly even non-antibody directed iron oxide nanoparticle hyperthermia has shown significant promise as a tumor treatment modality. Our studies are designed to determine the effects (safety and efficacy) of iron oxide nanoparticle hyperthermia and external beam radiation in a murine breast cancer model. Methods: MTG-B murine breast cancer cells (1 x 106) were implanted subcutaneous in 7 week-old female C3H/HeJ mice and grown to a treatment size of 150 mm3 +/- 50 mm3. Tumors were then injected locally with iron oxide nanoparticles and heated via an alternating magnetic field (AMF) generator operated at approximately 160 kHz and 400 - 550 Oe. Tumor growth was monitored daily using standard 3-D caliper measurement technique and formula. specific Mouse tumors were heated using a cooled, 36 mm diameter square copper tube induction coil which provided optimal heating in a 1 cm wide region in the center of the coil. Double dextran coated 80 nm iron oxide nanoparticles (Triton Biosystems) were used in all studies. Intra-tumor, peri-tumor and rectal (core body) temperatures were continually measured throughout the treatment period. Results: Preliminary in vivo nanoparticle-AMF hyperthermia (167 KHz and 400 or 550 Oe) studies demonstrated dose responsive cytotoxicity which enhanced the effects of external beam radiation. AMF associated eddy currents resulted in nonspecific temperature increases in exposed tissues which did not contain nanoparticles, however these effects were minor and not injurious to the mice. These studies also suggest that iron oxide nanoparticle hyperthermia is more effective than non-nanoparticle tumor heating techniques when similar thermal doses are applied. Initial electron and light microscopy studies of iron oxide nanoparticle and AMF exposed tumor cells show a rapid uptake of particles and acute cytotoxicity following AMF exposure.
Thermotherapy, particularly magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, is a promising modality both as a direct cancer cell killing and as a radiosensitization technique for adjuvant therapy. Dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were mixed with multiple tumor cell lines in solution and exposed to varying magnetic field regimes and combined with traditional external radiotherapy. Heating of cell lines by water bath in temperature patterns comparable to those achieved by nanoparticle hyperthermia was conducted to assess the relative value of nano-magnetic thermotherapy compared with conventional bulk heating techniques and data.
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