Nanobiotechnology

Biography

Biography: Alexandre Loukanov

Abstract

Nanocomposites made of iron oxide core, which is covalently capped with carbon nanodots have significant inhibitory effect on B16F10 cancer cells in the presence of near infrared irradiation (NIR). The reason is because the N-doped carbon nanodots (C-dots) can convert the lower energy NIR to higher energy blue light, which induce emission of electrons from the semiconductive Fe₂O₃ and generate reactive oxygen species. This process is known as up conversion photoluminescence and the subsequent photocatalytic oxidation was proved by bleaching of the organic dye rhodamine B. The inhibition effect of Fe₂O₃@C-dots was measured on the breast cancer cells B16F10 by in vitro scratch bioassay. In dark condition the nanomaterial exhibit minimal toxicity to the cells. However, by treatment with NIR irradiation in the range 700 ~ 800 nm the cancer cells were inhibited. The next step was to modify the nanocomposite Fe₂O₃@C-dots with oligonucleotide aptamers in order to achieve a structural recognition of cellular wall with followed higher specificity to cancer cells. Our experiments demonstrated that the normal cells are not object of inhibition, because they have enzymes to destroy such DNA nanomachines. Nevertheless, it remains toxic to the cancer cell which has lack of ability to protect from the nanomachines toxic effect. In conclusion, the photoactivatable iron oxide@Cdots–aptamer nanomachine may potentially be exploited in the photodynamic-related applications in the cancer therapy.