<i>In vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> validation studies of optimized iron oxide nanoparticles carrying targeting ligands for a new therapeutic strategy in head and neck cancers.

ABSTRACT: Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are increasingly used in the biomedical field. Indeed, they can improve patient diagnosis, as they are excellent T ₂ contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and they can be considered a therapeutic and radiosensitizing agent for cancer by influencing the redox balance. However, to achieve specific accumulation of nanoparticles in the tumor, active targeting with specific ligands is required. In this context, we have developed IONPs that would specifically target head and neck cancer (HNC) cells. First, we optimized IONP synthesis and produced dendronized IONPs that were coupled with the targeting ligand cRGD (@D + cRGD IONPs) or peptide 22 (@D + P22 IONPs). The former is a tripeptide with affinity for integrins while the latt

SUBMITTER: Furgiuele S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12455219 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature