Low doses of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles sensitize solid tumors to cold plasma by blocking the PI3K/AKT-driven signaling axis to suppress cellular transformation by inhibiting growth and EMT. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaushik, Nagendra Kumar; Kaushik, Neha; Yoo, Ki Chun; Uddin, Nizam; Kim, Ju Sung; Lee, Su Jae; Choi, Eun Ha
• Is Part Of: Biomaterials. Volume 87(2016)
• Page Start: 118
• Page End: 130
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Cold plasma -- Gold nanoparticles -- Solid cancers -- Stemness -- Glioma-like stem cells -- Epithelial–mesenchymal transition; Biomedical materials -- Periodicals; Biocompatible Materials -- Periodicals; Biomatériaux -- Périodiques; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.02.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0142-9612

Abstract

Abstract: Metastasis, the primary cause of tumor cell transformation, is often activated during cancer invasion and progression and is associated with poor therapeutic outcomes. The effects of combined treatments that included PEG-coated gold nanoparticles (GNP) and cold plasma on epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSC) have not been described so far. Here, we report that co-treatment with GNP and cold plasma inhibited proliferation in cancer cells by abolishing the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling axis. In addition, co-treatment reversed EMT in solid tumor cells by reducing the secretion of a number of proteins, resulting in the upregulation of epithelial markers such as E-cadherin along with down-regulation of N-Cadherin, Slug and Zeb-1. The inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway and the reversal of EMT by co-treatment prevented tumor cells growth in solid tumors. Furthermore, we show that GNP and plasma also suppresses tumor growth by decreasing mesenchymal markers in tumor xenograft mice models. Importantly, co-treatment resulted in a substantial decrease in sphere formation and the self-renewal capacity of glioma-like stem cells. Together, these results indicate a direct link between a decrease of EMT and an increase in cell death in solid tumors following co-treatment with cold plasma and GNP.