A Radio-frequency Coupling Network for Heating of Citrate-coated Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy: Design and Analysis

摘要

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are non-toxic, can be functionalized with ligands, and preferentially accumulate in tumors. We have developed a 13.56 MHz radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EM) delivery system capable of generating high electric field strengths required for non-invasive, non-contact heating of GNPs.The bulk heating and specific heating rates were measured as a function of NP size and concentration. It was found that heating is both size and concentration dependent, with 5 nm particles producing a 50.6±0.2°C temperature rise in 30 s for 25 μg/mL gold (125 W input). The specific heating rate was also size and concentration dependent, with 5 nm particles producing a specific heating rate of 356±78 kW/g gold at 16 μg/mL (125 W input).Furthermore, we demonstrate that cancer cells incubated with GNPs are killed when exposed to 13.56 MHz RFEM fields. Compared to cells that were not incubated with GNPs, 3 out of 4 RF-treated groups showed a significant enhancement of cell death with GNPs (p<0.05). GNP-enhanced cell killing appears to require temperatures above 50°C for the experimental parameters used in this study. Transmission electron micrographs show extensive vacuolization with the combination of GNPs and RF treatment.