A highly efficient and tumor vascular-targeting therapeutic technique with size-expansible gadofullerene nanocrystals

Abstract

It has long been a dream to achieve tumor targeting therapy that can efficiently reduce the toxicity and severe side effects of conventional antitumor chemotherapeutic agents. Taking advantage of the abnormalities of tumor vasculature, we demonstrate here a new powerful tumor vascular-targeting therapeutic technique for solid cancers that applies advanced nanotechnology to cut off the nutrient supply of tumor cells by physically destroying the abnormal tumor blood vessels. Water soluble magnetic Gd@C82 nanocrystals of the chosen sizes are deliberately designed with abilities to penetrate into the leaky tumor blood vessels. By triggering the radiofrequency induced phase transition of gadofullerene nanocrystals while extravasating the tumor blood vessel, the explosive structural change of nanoparticles generates a devastating impact on abnormal tumor blood vessels, resulting in a rapid and extensive ischemia necrosis and shrinkage of the tumors. This unprecedented target-specific physiotherapy is found to work perfectly for advanced and refractory solid tumors.