RGD-functionalized magnetosomes are efficient tumor radioenhancers for X-rays and protons

Maha Hafsi (1) , Sandra Preveral (2) , Christopher Hoog (3) , Joël Hérault (3) , Géraldine Adryanczyk Perrier (2) , Christopher T. Lefèvre (2) , Hervé Michel (4) , David Pignol (2) , Jérôme Doyen (2) , Thierry Pourcher (1, 5) , Olivier Humbert (1, 3) , Juliette Thariat (6, 3) , Béatrice Cambien (1, 5)

1 TIRO-MATOs - UMR E4320 - Transporteurs et Imagerie, Radiothérapie en Oncologie et Mécanismes biologiques des Altérations du Tissu Osseux
2 BIAM - Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies d'Aix-Marseille (ex-IBEB)
3 UNICANCER/CAL - Centre de Lutte contre le Cancer Antoine Lacassagne [Nice]
4 ICN - Institut de Chimie de Nice
5 NCA - Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur
6 UNICANCER/CRLC - Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer François Baclesse [Caen]

Although chemically synthesized ferro/ferrimagnetic nanoparticles have attracted great attention in cancer theranostics, they lack radio-enhancement efficacy due to low targeting and internalization ability. Herein, we investigated the potential of RGD-tagged magnetosomes, bacterial biogenic magnetic nanoparticles naturally coated with a biological membrane and genetically engineered to express an RGD peptide, as tumor radioenhancers for conventional radiotherapy and proton therapy. Although native and RGD-magnetosomes similarly enhanced radiation-induced damage to plasmid DNA, RGD-magnetoprobes were able to boost the efficacy of radiotherapy to a much larger extent than native magnetosomes both on cancer cells and in tumors. Combined to magnetosomes@RGD, proton therapy exceeded the efficacy of X-rays at equivalent doses. Also, increased secondary emissions were measured after irradiation of magnetosomes with protons versus photons. Our results indicate the therapeutic advantage of using functionalized magnetoparticles to sensitize tumors to both X-rays and protons and strengthen the case for developing biogenic magnetoparticles for multimodal nanomedicine in cancer therapy.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]

Maha Hafsi, Sandra Preveral, Christopher Hoog, Joël Hérault, Géraldine Adryanczyk Perrier, et al.. RGD-functionalized magnetosomes are efficient tumor radioenhancers for X-rays and protons. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 2020, 23, pp.102084. ⟨10.1016/j.nano.2019.102084⟩. ⟨cea-02460533⟩