Cobalt ferrite nanoparticle for the elimination of CD133+CD44(+) and CD44(+)CD24(−), in breast and skin cancer stem cells, using non-ionizing treatments

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the most challenging issue in cancer treatment, because of their high resistance mechanisms, that can cause tumor recurrence after common cancer treatments such as drug and radiation based therapies, and the insufficient efficiency of common treatments in CSCs removal and the recurrence of tumors after these treatments, it is essential to consider other methods, including non-ionizing treatments likes light-based treatments and magnetic hyperthermia (MHT). METHOD AND MATERIAL: After synthesis, characterization and investigation, the toxicity of novel on A375 and MAD-MB-231 cell lines, magnetic hyperthermia and light-based treatments were applied. MTT assay and flow cytometry was employed to determine cell survival. the influence of combination therapy on CD44 + CD24(−)and CD133 + CD44(+) cell population, Comparison and evaluation of combination treatments was done respectively using Combination Indices (CIs). RESULT: The final nanoparticle has a high efficiency in producing hydroxyl radicals and generating heat in MHT. According to CIs, we can conclude that combined using of light-based treatment and MHT in the presence of final synthesized nanoparticle have synergistic effect and a high ability to reduce the population of stem cells in both cell lines compared to single treatments. CONCLUSION: In this study a novel multi-functional nanoplatform acted well in dual and triple combined treatments, and showed a good performance in the eradication of CSCs, in A375 and MAD-MB-231 cell lines.