Effects of gold nanorods modified with antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody on laryngeal cancer cells

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the photothermal effects of gold nanorods (GNRs) modified with antiepidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) on laryngeal cancer cells. EGFR protein expressions in HEP-2 cells, and normal laryngeal epithelialand laryngeal cancer tissues were detected by western blot. The cytotoxicity against HEP-2 and BEAS-2B cells was tested by MTT assay,and the photothermal effects were assessed by near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. The apoptosis of HEP-2 cells was detected by flowcytometry. EGFR expression in laryngeal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P < 0.05). The inhibitoryeffects of GNRs and anti-EGFR mAb/GNRs on the apoptosis of HEP-2 and BEAS-2B cells were enhanced with increasing dose. AntiEGFR mAb/GNRs were more cytotoxic to HEP-2 cells and less cytotoxic to BEAS-2B cells than GNRs. NIR irradiation inhibited cellproliferation, which was enhanced with rising power, accompanied by continuously dropping survival rate. The apoptosis rate of theanti-EGFR mAb/GNRs group was significantly higher than that of the GNRs group, and the apoptosis rate of the irradiation + antiEGFR mAb/GNRs group also significantly exceeded that of the irradiation + GNRs group (P < 0.05). Anti-EGFR mAb/GNRs promotedHEP-2 cell apoptosis more evidently than GNRs did. Functional modification of GNRs augmented the targeted specificity to cancercells, biocompatibility, and stability. Anti-EGFR mAb/GNRs have great potential in biomedical fields.