Carbon dots/polypyrrole nanocomposite as a sonosensitizer for treatment of melanoma tumor

A carbon dots/polypyrrole nanocomposite (C/PPy) was synthesized, and a study about its application as a sonosensitizer for cancer annihilation was performed. For this purpose, mouse malignant melanoma cell line of C540 (B16/F10) was exposed to 50 and 100% pulse ratios of ultrasound irradiation accompanied by different concentrations of C/PPy. Cell viability was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by 2',7'-dichlorodihydro fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay, and cell apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. While C/PPy was biocompatible, cells growth in the presence of 100 mu g mL(-1) C/PPy was inhibited by 22 and 68% upon US irradiation at 50 and 100% of pulse ratio, respectively. An enhanced ROS production and apoptosis induction were the effective routes of C/PPy as a sonosensitizer on the melanoma cancer cells killing.

Automated summary

A carbon dots/polypyrrole nanocomposite was studied as a sonosensitizer for cancer annihilation. The results showed that the nanocomposite inhibited the growth of melanoma cancer cells and induced cell apoptosis through increased production of reactive oxygen species.