Evaluation of combined effect of hyperthermia and ionizing radiation on cytotoxic damages induced by IUdR-loaded PCL-PEG-coated magnetic nanoparticles in spheroid culture of U87MG glioblastoma cell line.

OBJECTIVE

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive type of primary brain tumor. None of the current conventional treatment methods has improved treatment considerably. Therefore, in this study the effect of magnetic nanoparticles coated with poly (caprolactone)-poly (ethylene glycol) (PCL-PEG) as a 5-iodo 2'deoxyuridine (IUdR) carrier in the presence of hyperthermia and 6 MV (megavoltage) X-ray radiation, were investigated in a spheroid model of U87MG glioblastoma cell line using colony formation assay.

METHODS

First, the human glioblastoma cell line U87MG was cultured as a spheroid using the liquid overlay technique. Spheroids on day 10 with 100 mm diameters were treated with 1 µM IUdR or nanoparticles as IUdR carriers for one volume doubling time (VDT) of spheroids (67 h) and hyperthermia at 43 °C for 1 h, and then irradiated with 2 Gy of 6 MV X-ray in different groups. Finally, the effect of treatment on colony-forming ability was obtained by colony formation and alkaline assay.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that hyperthermia in combination with radiation could significantly reduce the colony number of glioblastoma spheroid cells treated with IUdR or nanoparticles as IUdR carriers. However, the extent of reduction in colony number following treatment with IUdR-loaded nanoparticles in combination with hyperthermia and then X-ray radiation was significantly more than free IUdR.

CONCLUSIONS

According to this study, PCL-PEG-coated magnetic nanoparticles are effective delivery vehicles for IUdR into cells. Moreover, they can act as a radiosensitizer and thermosensitizer in the treatment of the glioblastoma cell line.