Gold nanoclusters as a contrast agent for image-guided surgery of head and neck tumors

Nanomedicine. 2019 Aug:20:102011. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2019.04.014. Epub 2019 May 17.

Abstract

With the objective to evaluate the potential of ultra-small gold (Au) nanoclusters (NCs) for optical image-guided surgery, we synthesized and characterized AuNCs shelled by zwitterionic or pegylated ligands. The toxicity of the different AuNCs was evaluated on the Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) CAL-33 and SQ20B cell lines in vitro. The safer AuNCs were administrated intravenously to mice for the determination of the pharmacokinetic properties. Biodistributions were performed on orthotopic CAL-33 HNSCC-bearing mice. Finally, the AuNCs were used for image-guided surgery, allowing the increase of the survival time vs. control animals, and the number of animals without any local recurrence.

Keywords: Carcinoma; Gold nanoclusters; Head and Neck; Image-guided surgery; Nanomedicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • Contrast Media / chemistry*
  • Contrast Media / pharmacokinetics
  • Endocytosis
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gold