Sonodynamic therapy of pancreatic cancer cells based on synergistic chemotherapeutic effects of selenium-PEG-curcumin nanoparticles and gemcitabine

As an innovative treatment strategy to overcome solid tumors, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) comprises low-intensity ultrasound (US) radiation by using a sonosensitizer and includes considerable advantages, compared to other traditional methods to establish potential treatments such as deeper tumor destruction, targeted uptake of chemotherapeutic drugs, minor side effects and lower invasiveness. In this study, we synthesized and characterized selenium-polyethylene glycol-curcumin nanoparticles (Se-PEG-Cur NPs) as a new sonosensitizer with the ability of ultrasonic waves absorption. Cytotoxicity of Se-PEG-Cur NPs was compared with gemcitabine (GEM) as the first-line treatment of pancreatic cancer. ASPC1 cell line was treated with both Se-PEG-Cur NPs and GEM separately as well as their combination without or with US radiation. Effect of US radiation on cytotoxicity of Se-PEG-Cur NPs, GEM and their combination was evaluated through evaluation of cells viability, measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and estimation of apoptosis promotion. The results revealed that cells SDT using Se-PEG-Cur NPs, GEM and their combination went mainly with ROS production and induced apoptosis in ASPC1 cells. Concomitant effects of Se-PEG-Cur NPs and GEM restrained the proliferation of ASPC1 cells in vitro due to an intensifying effect of US radiation-triggered toxicity. Se-PEG-Cur NPs is presented as a novel and efficient potential sonosensitizer for SDT treatment of pancreatic cancer.