Research on the radiosensitizing effect of gold nanoparticles

This paper describes the methods and results of the previous experiments, the experimental phenomena of the cell and animal tests and the relative mechanisms on the radiosensitizing effect of GNPs. Together with our experiments, the radiosensitizing effects of 15 nm citrate-capped GNPs and related mechanisms are analyzed and compared, finding that Hela cell killing of GNPs increase along with their concentration after exposure to high- and low-LET radiation such as carbon ions and X-rays. In addition, the percentages of dose reduction of the X-rays and RBE increment of the carbon ions reached their maximums 65.3% and 43.6%, respectively, at 50% survival level when Hela cells were pre-treated with 7.5 μg/mL GNPs. Moreover, Hela cells showed no cell-cycle synchronization after 24 and 48 h exposure to GNPs. (authors)