Detection of human breast cancer cells using a 2-deoxy-D-glucose-functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most common type of female cancer worldwide and represents 14% of cancerrelated deaths in women. Early detection is the most important factor for treatment and prognosis of breast cancer. In most countries, the women are currently screened with mammography only. Even though there has been considerable progress in the detection, surgical therapy, hormonal and target therapy of breast cancer, there are about similar to 3500 000 women who die from breast cancer each year. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the new techniques for early detection of breast cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to improve breast cancer detection at an early stage because of its higher sensitivity. Glucose transporter (Glut) is a cellular transmembrane receptor that plays key roles in cell glucose metabolism and over-expressed in breast cancer cells. 2-deoxy-D-glucose having a similar structure to D-glucose can specifically interact with Glut. METHODS: In the present study, we constructed a 2-deoxy-D-glucose-functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles that coated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (gamma-Fe2O3@DMSA-DG NPs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of new constructed MRI contrast agent (gamma-Fe2O3@DMSA-DG NPs) in detecting human breast cancers. RESULTS: Our results showed that breast cancer cells MDA-MD-231, MCF7 and ZR-75-1 had a high uptake rate of gamma Fe2O3@ DMSA-DG NPs than human breast fibroblast cell HUM-CELL-0056. There was a significant difference of T-2 relaxation times and signal intensity between breast cancer cells and human breast fibroblast cells labeled with gamma-Fe2O3@DMSA-DG NPs when MIR. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that gamma-Fe2O3@DMSA-DG NPs may be used as a new MRI contrast agent for detection of breast cancer.