多壁式扶手型碳納米管結(jié)構(gòu)示意圖,。圖片來(lái)自維基共享資源,。
來(lái)自美國(guó)維克森林大學(xué)浸禮會(huì)醫(yī)學(xué)中心(Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center)的研究人員再次證實(shí)將多壁式碳納米管(multiwalled carbon nanotubes, MWCNTs)注射進(jìn)腫瘤中并且通過(guò)激光快速照射30秒時(shí)間對(duì)這些腫瘤加熱就能夠殺死它們。
2009年,，他們利用同樣方法發(fā)表第一篇涉及腎臟腫瘤的研究論文,，而如今他們利用這種技術(shù)瞄準(zhǔn)乳腺腫瘤，特別是起始腫瘤發(fā)生的癌干細(xì)胞,。這些干細(xì)胞很難殺死,，因?yàn)樗鼈儾⒉唤?jīng)常發(fā)生分裂，而很多抗癌策略旨在殺死那些經(jīng)常發(fā)生分裂的細(xì)胞,。
這一研究發(fā)現(xiàn)在線發(fā)表在Biomaterials期刊上,。該研究通訊作者Suzy V. Torti教授說(shuō)，乳腺癌干細(xì)胞往往抵抗藥物和放射治療,，因此靶向這些特殊的細(xì)胞引起整個(gè)科學(xué)界的興趣,。
Torti解釋道，“它們很頑強(qiáng),。它們是不經(jīng)常發(fā)生分裂的細(xì)胞,。它們只是靜息地呆在那里，但是當(dāng)它們接收到某些人們現(xiàn)在仍然沒(méi)有很好理解的激發(fā)信號(hào)時(shí)，它們被認(rèn)為能夠遷移到其他位點(diǎn)和開(kāi)始轉(zhuǎn)移到其他地方,。就臨床治療包括在乳腺癌在內(nèi)的癌癥而言,，基于加熱的癌癥治療代表著一種大有希望的方法。”
研究人員使用模式小鼠開(kāi)展研究,，將由碳構(gòu)成的非常小的納米管注射進(jìn)含有乳腺癌干細(xì)胞的腫瘤中,。Torti說(shuō)，就納米管本身而言,，它們沒(méi)有任何抗腫瘤性質(zhì),，但是如果它們暴露在激光產(chǎn)生的近紅外線照射下，它們開(kāi)始振動(dòng)并產(chǎn)生熱量,。她說(shuō),，這種組合能夠在腫瘤中產(chǎn)生一個(gè)非常熱的局部區(qū)域。研究小組利用這種方法能夠阻止主要由乳腺癌干細(xì)胞組成的腫瘤進(jìn)行生長(zhǎng),。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)提示著納米管介導(dǎo)的熱處理能夠消滅構(gòu)成腫瘤大部分的已分化的癌細(xì)胞,，同時(shí)也能夠消滅促進(jìn)腫瘤生長(zhǎng)和復(fù)發(fā)的癌干細(xì)胞。
Torti說(shuō),，“為了真正地治療一種癌癥,，人們必須除去整個(gè)腫瘤，包括能夠?qū)е履[瘤轉(zhuǎn)移的一小群癌干細(xì)胞,。不過(guò)仍有需要進(jìn)行更多的研究,。我們正考慮進(jìn)行5到10年的研發(fā)。但是這項(xiàng)研究證實(shí)這種努力可能是值得的,，因?yàn)樗o我們指明探索癌癥治療的方向,。” (生物谷：towersimper編譯)
doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.12.052
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The resistance of breast cancer stem cells to conventional hyperthermia and their sensitivity to nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy
Andrew R. Burke, Ravi N. Singh, David L. Carroll, James C.S. Wood, Ralph B. D’Agostino Jr., f, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Frank M. Torti, Suzy V. Torti
Breast tumors contain a small population of tumor initiating stem-like cells, termed breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). These cells, which are refractory to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are thought to persist following treatment and drive tumor recurrence. We examined whether BCSCs are similarly resistant to hyperthermic therapy, and whether nanoparticles could be used to overcome this resistance. Using a model of triple-negative breast cancer stem cells, we show that BCSCs are markedly resistant to traditional hyperthermia and become enriched in the surviving cell population following treatment. In contrast, BCSCs are sensitive to nanotube-mediated thermal treatment and lose their long-term proliferative capacity after nanotube-mediated thermal therapy. Moreover, use of this therapy in vivo promotes complete tumor regression and long-term survival of mice bearing cancer stem cell-driven breast tumors. Mechanistically, nanotube thermal therapy promotes rapid membrane permeabilization and necrosis of BCSCs. These data suggest that nanotube-mediated thermal treatment can simultaneously eliminate both the differentiated cells that constitute the bulk of a tumor and the BCSCs that drive tumor growth and recurrence.
