RF-assisted gadofullerene nanoparticles induces rapid tumor vascular disruption by down-expression of tumor vascular endothelial cadherin

Publication date: May 2018
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 163
Author(s): Xue Li, Mingming Zhen, Ruijun Deng, Tong Yu, Jie Li, Ying Zhang, Toujun Zou, Yue Zhou, Zhigao Lu, Mirong Guan, Hui Xu, Chunying Shu, Chunru Wang
The tumor vasculature with unique characteristics offers an attractive target for anti-cancer therapy. Herein, we put forward a novel antitumor therapeutic mechanism based on the gadofullerene nanocrystals (GFNCs), the agent we have previously shown to efficiently disrupt tumor vasculature by size-expansion with assistance of radiofrequency (RF). However, the tumor vascular disrupting mechanism of RF-assisted GFNCs treatment was not further studied. In the present work, a rapid tumor blood flow shutdown has been observed by the vascular perfusion imaging in vivo and vascular damages were evident 6 h after the RF-assisted GFNCs treatment. Importantly, a significant down-expression of tumor vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) treated by RF-assisted GFNCs was further investigated, which caused vascular collapse, blood flow shut-down and subsequent tumor hemorrhagic necrosis. These findings set forth a systematic mechanism on the superior anti-tumor efficiency by RF-assisted GFNCs treatment.

Graphical abstract

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