Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Adv Mater. 2019 Nov;31(46):e1904058. doi: 10.1002/adma.201904058. Epub 2019 Sep 25.
Many inorganic nanoparticles are prepared and their behaviors in living systems are investigated. Yet, common electrolytes such as NaCl are left out of this campaign. The underlying assumption is that electrolyte nanoparticles will quickly dissolve in water and behave similarly as their constituent salts. Herein, this preconception is challenged. The study shows that NaCl nanoparticles (SCNPs) but not salts are highly toxic to cancer cells. This is because SCNPs enter cells through endocytosis, bypassing cell regulations on ion transport. When dissolved inside cancer cells, SCNPs cause a surge of osmolarity and rapid cell lysis. Interestingly, normal cells are much more resistant to the treatment due to their relatively low sodium levels. Unlike conventional chemotherapeutics, SCNPs cause immunogenic cell death or ICD. In vivo studies show that SCNPs not only kill cancer cells, but also boost an anticancer immunity. The discovery opens up a new perspective on nanoparticle-based therapeutics.
许多无机纳米粒子被制备出来，并研究了它们在生命系统中的行为。然而，这项研究没有涉及常见的电解质，如氯化钠。其基本假设是电解质纳米粒子将很快溶解在水中，并表现出与其组成盐相似的行为。在此，这种先入为主的观念受到了挑战。研究表明，氯化钠纳米粒子（SCNPs）而不是盐对癌细胞具有高度毒性。这是因为 SCNPs 通过内吞作用进入细胞，绕过了细胞对离子运输的调节。当溶解在癌细胞内时，SCNPs 会导致渗透压急剧上升和细胞迅速裂解。有趣的是，由于正常细胞的钠离子水平相对较低，因此它们对这种治疗的抵抗力要强得多。与传统的化疗药物不同，SCNPs 会引起免疫原性细胞死亡或 ICD。体内研究表明，SCNPs 不仅能杀死癌细胞，还能增强抗癌免疫力。这一发现为基于纳米粒子的治疗方法开辟了新的视角。
