Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Radiotherapy Application

BACKGROUND: Treatment methods for cancer that are widely being utilized affect both normal and cancerous cells. We report synthesis polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) and its characteristic properties and appraise its potential as a promising radiation sensitizer candidate in radiotherapy that improves cancer treatment and reduces side effects of radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PEG-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs were synthesized by chemical coprecipitation method and characterized by studying their size, structure, functional group, stability, magnetization, and cytotoxicity using different techniques. X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis results show that Fe(3)O(4) NPs have been functionalized with PEG molecules during the course of synthesis. RESULTS: Synthesized NPs have good stability based on zeta-potential study. Dynamic light-scattering results reveal that PEG-coated Fe(3)O(4) has a greater hydrodynamic size than bare Fe(3)O(4). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph exhibited that NPs are roughly spherical with size in range of 10–20 nm. Saturation magnetization value of PEG-coated and bare Fe(3)O(4) also confirms coating and shows superparamagnetic behavior. Cytotoxicity evaluation study indicated that PEG-coated Fe(3)O(4) is biocompatible on L929 and toxic on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) (breast cancer cells). CONCLUSION: These characterized properties of PEG-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs show that it could be used as a potential radiosensitizer candidate in radiotherapy to significantly improve cancer treatment and minimize painful side effects of radiation.