Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Rome, Italy.
UOC Neurology, Fondazione Ca'Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza, 28, 20122 Milan, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 23;23(17):9528. doi: 10.3390/ijms23179528.
Before entering human clinical studies to evaluate their safety and effectiveness, new drugs and novel medical treatments are subject to extensive animal testing that are expensive and time-consuming. By contrast, advanced technologies enable the development of animal-free models that allow the efficacy of innovative therapies to be studied without sacrificing animals, while providing helpful information and details. We report on the powerful combination of 3D bioprinting (3DB) and photo-thermal therapy (PTT) applications. To this end, we realize a 3DB construct consisting of glioblastoma U87-MG cells in a 3D geometry, incorporating biomimetic keratin-coated gold nanoparticles (Ker-AuNPs) as a photo-thermal agent. The resulting plasmonic 3DB structures exhibit a homogeneous cell distribution throughout the entire volume while promoting the localization of Ker-AuNPs within the cells. A 3D immunofluorescence assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm the uniform distribution of fluorescent-labeled Ker-AuNPs in the volume and their capability to enter the cells. Laser-assisted (λ = 532 nm) PTT experiments demonstrate the extraordinary ability of Ker-AuNPs to generate heating, producing the highest temperature rise of about 16 °C in less than 2 min.
在进入人体临床研究评估其安全性和有效性之前，新药和新的医疗方法需要经过昂贵且耗时的广泛动物测试。相比之下，先进的技术使无动物模型的发展成为可能，这些模型可以在不牺牲动物的情况下研究创新疗法的疗效，同时提供有用的信息和细节。我们报告了 3D 生物打印（3DB）和光热治疗（PTT）应用的强大结合。为此，我们实现了由 3D 几何形状的神经胶质瘤 U87-MG 细胞组成的 3DB 结构，其中包含作为光热剂的仿生角蛋白涂覆的金纳米颗粒（Ker-AuNPs）。由此产生的等离子体 3DB 结构在整个体积中表现出均匀的细胞分布，同时促进 Ker-AuNPs 在细胞内的定位。3D 免疫荧光分析和透射电子显微镜（TEM）证实了荧光标记的 Ker-AuNPs 在体积中的均匀分布及其进入细胞的能力。激光辅助（λ=532nm）PTT 实验证明了 Ker-AuNPs 产生加热的非凡能力，在不到 2 分钟内产生约 16°C 的最高温升。
