PUBLICATION

Targeting Radiation Resistance in Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma with Pyrazinib-Functionalised Gold Nanoparticles

Authors
Marcone, S., Spadavecchia, J., Khan, M., Vella, G., O'Connell, F., Pendino, M., Menon, M., Donohoe, C., Narayanasamy, R., Reynolds, J.V., Maher, S.G., Lynam-Lennon, N., Kennedy, B., Prina-Mello, A., O'Sullivan, J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-241218-2
Date
2024
Source
Cancers   16(23): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kennedy, Breandan N.
Keywords
angiogenesis, gold nanoparticles, metabolism, radioresistance, targeted delivery
MeSH Terms
none
PubMed
39682192 Full text @ Cancers
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Only 20-30% of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) patients achieve a complete response to neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy for locally advanced tumours. Enhancing the response to radiation therapy is critical for improving outcomes in this aggressive cancer. Pyrazinib (P3) is a promising compound with radiosensitizing, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-metabolic properties. However, its limited solubility and bioavailability have hindered its therapeutic potential.
To overcome these limitations, pyrazinib was conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNP-P3), creating a novel formulation designed to enhance solubility, maintain bioactivity, and enable targeted delivery to tumour sites.
In an isogenic model of OAC radioresistance, AuNP-P3 significantly reduced the surviving fraction following irradiation, demonstrating its radiosensitizing properties. It also reduced mitochondrial metabolism and modulated the secretion of inflammatory mediators in both in vitro models of OAC radioresistance and human ex vivo OAC tumour explants. Furthermore, AuNP-P3 exhibited potent anti-angiogenic activity, significantly inhibiting blood vessel formation in vivo using zebrafish embryo models.
These results collectively confirm that P3, in its conjugated formulation with gold nanoparticles, retains its therapeutic properties, highlighting the potential of AuNP-P3 as a novel therapeutic radiosensitizer for oesophageal adenocarcinoma and supporting its further development for clinical applications.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping