Abstract
In this work, polythiophene nanoparticles (PTh–NPs) were synthesized by a surfactant-free oxidative chemical polymerization method at 60 °C, using ammonium persulphate as an oxidant. Various physicochemical properties were studied in terms of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)/thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Photothermal performance of the as-synthesized PTh–NPs was studied by irradiating near infra-red of 808 nm under different concentration of the substrate and power supply. The photothermal stability of PTh–NPs was also studied. Photothermal effects of the as-synthesized PTh–NPs on colorectal cancer cells (CT-26) were studied at 100 µg/mL concentration and 808 nm NIR irradiation of 2.0 W/cm2 power. Our in vitro results showed remarkable NIR laser-triggered photothermal apoptotic cell death by PTh–NPs. Based on the experimental findings, it is revealed that PTh–NPs can act as a heat mediator and can be an alternative material for photothermal therapy in cancer treatment.
Highlights
Cancer is a worldwide problem and poses huge challenges to human health
Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous tumor with different genetic alterations, which is associated with some kinds of gut microbiota and mutations targeting oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and gene related to DNA repair mechanism [2,3]
The general structure and surface morphology of the as-synthesized PTh–NPs were studied with the help of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) (Figure 1a)
Summary
Cancer is a worldwide problem and poses huge challenges to human health. Among the different types of body cancer, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, and the most common cause of cancer-related morbidity [1]. Various routes have been developed for the treatment of cancer, which include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, thermal ablation, surgery, and regional combined therapy [5,6]. A combination of oxaliplatin with 5-fluorouracil and a gold-based anticancer drug, such as auranofin, are being used as adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer treatment [7,8]. These modalities are less effective at addressing the case of metastasis. Development of less aggressive and more effective therapies, compared to those of conventional ones, is necessary in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), Cells 2020, 9, 2122; doi:10.3390/cells9092122 www.mdpi.com/journal/cells
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