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Precise therapeutic effect of self-assembling gold nanocluster–PTEN complexes on an orthotropic model of liver cancer

  • Original Article – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Presently, liver cancer is still one of the malignant tumors with high mortality. As far as the treatment of liver cancer is concerned, the most effective method is still liver transplantation. But every year, many liver cancer patients die from the lack of a proper liver transplant, or from waiting for a liver transplant. Therefore, it is very important to find new and effective treatment for patients with liver cancer.

Methods

Herein, the cell model and the orthotropic liver tumor mice model have been performed to verify the results of our treatment. We found that the in situ synthesized gold nanocluster–PTEN (GNC–PTEN) complexes can effectively target and realize the fluorescence imaging of the liver tumor.

Results

GNC–PTEN complexes could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of liver cancer cells. And the results also showed that GNC–PTEN complexes could be well targeted liver tumor at 6 h and the liver tumor in mice group treated with GNC–PTEN complexes almost disappeared.

Conclusion

This is a simply and effectively method to realize liver cancer imaging and inhibition. This may raise the possibility for the accurate image/diagnosis and simultaneously efficient treatment of liver cancer in the relevant clinic application.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91753106, 21675023, and 81325011), Primary Research & Development Plan of Jiangsu Province (BE2019716), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFA0205300).

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Author notes

  1. Maonan Wang and Lishan Wang are common first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Lab), School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China

    Maonan Wang, Huan Feng, Hui Jiang & Xuemei Wang

  2. Department of Hepatic-Biliary-Pancreatic Center, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

    Lishan Wang & Jiahua Zhou

  3. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery Research Institute, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

    Lishan Wang & Jiahua Zhou

Authors
  1. Maonan Wang
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  2. Lishan Wang
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  3. Huan Feng
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  4. Hui Jiang
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  5. Jiahua Zhou
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  6. Xuemei Wang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jiahua Zhou or Xuemei Wang.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Wang, M., Wang, L., Feng, H. et al. Precise therapeutic effect of self-assembling gold nanocluster–PTEN complexes on an orthotropic model of liver cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 146, 875–882 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03163-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03163-4

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