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Synergistic cytotoxicity of low-energy ultrasound and innovative mesoporous silica-based sensitive nanoagents

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Abstract

Low-energy ultrasound (LEUS) shows distinct potential as a safe therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, mesoporous silica nanoparticles with closed-end cavities as sensitive nanoagents are prepared for effective cancer cell killing, when synergistically combined with mild LEUS (1 MHz, ≤1.0 W cm−2). The closed-end cavities can entrap gas bubbles, and provide a large number of cavitation nucleation sites, which could lead to drastically amplify ultrasonic cavitation effect by responding to the mild LEUS (1 MHz, ≤1.0 W cm−2). Significant killing effect against cancer cells is observed, when cells are treated by synergetic combination of mild LEUS and the nanoagents with closed-end cavities, showing distinct dose dependency on the nanoagents and irradiation intensity. Nevertheless, the killing effect is disappeared when the closed-end cavities are destructed. Moreover, no obvious cytotoxicity is observed when either the nanoagents or the LEUS is applied alone. The research may open up application opportunities of mild low-energy ultrasound for cancer therapy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledges financial support from the Nation Natural Science Foundation of China (51072217), the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai (11XD1405600), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2008AAO3Z303), the State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China

    Yang Zhao & Yingchun Zhu

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  1. Yang Zhao
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  2. Yingchun Zhu
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Correspondence to Yingchun Zhu.

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Zhao, Y., Zhu, Y. Synergistic cytotoxicity of low-energy ultrasound and innovative mesoporous silica-based sensitive nanoagents. J Mater Sci 49, 3665–3673 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8073-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8073-y

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