Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a breast-cancer targeting ultrasound contrast agent

• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2013.10.038
• Publication Date: 2013-11-01T21:28:52Z
• Authors: Andrew Milgroom; Miranda Intrator; Krishna Madhavan; Luciano Mazzaro; Robin Shandas; Bolin Liu; Daewon Park
• Keywords: Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Surface Properties; Contrast Media; Antineoplastic Agents; Breast Neoplasms; 02 engineering and technology; Trastuzumab; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Silicon Dioxide; 3. Good health; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Humans; Nanoparticles; Female; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Particle Size; 0210 nano-technology; Porosity; Cell Proliferation; Ultrasonography

Ultrasound (US) is used widely in the context of breast cancer. While it is advantageous for a number of reasons, it has low specificity and requires the use of a contrast agent. Its use as a standalone diagnostic and real-time imaging modality could be achieved by development of a tumor-targeted ultrasound contrast agent (UCA); functionalizing the UCA with a tumor-targeting agent would also allow the targeted administration of anti-cancer drugs at the tumor site. In this article, clinical US techniques are used to show that mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), functionalized with the monoclonal antibody Herceptin(®), can be used as an effective UCA by increasing US image contrast. Furthermore, in vitro assays show the successful localization and binding of the MSN-Herceptin conjugate to HER2+ cancer cells, resulting in tumor-specific cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate the potential of MSNs as a stable, biocompatible, and effective therapeutic and diagnostic ("theranostic") agent for US-based breast cancer imaging, diagnosis, and treatment.