Novel light-driven functional AgNPs induce cancer death at extra low concentrations.

The current study is aimed at preparing light-driven novel functional AgNPs- bio-hydrogel and evaluating anticancer potency against human melanoma cells. With an average size of 16-18 nm, the hydrogel nano-silver particle composite (AgNPs@C_MA_O) was synthesized using a soft white LED approach and analyzed by UV-Vis, DLS, FTIR, X-ray, SEM-EDX and TEM techniques. The anticancer activity of the obtained novel functionalized AgNPs@C_MA_O was tested in-vitro in the A375 melanoma cell line. Dose-response analysis showed that AgNPs at 0.01 mg/mL and 0.005 mg/mL doses reduced the viability of A375 cells by 50% at 24 and 48-h time-points, respectively. A375 cells treated with AgNPs@C_MA_O for 24 h at IC50 displayed abnormal morphology such as detachment edges and feet, shrinkage, membrane damage, and the loss of contact with adjacent cells. Our work is the first study showing that non-ionizing radiation mediated biofunctionalized AgNPs have an anti-tumoral effect at such a low concentration of 0.01 mg/mL. Our approach of using harmless wLED increased synergy between soft biopolymer compounds and AgNPs, and enhanced anticancer efficiency of the AgNPs@C_MA_O biohydrogel. Ultimately, the AgNPs accessed through the use of the wLED approach in colloidal syntheses can open new applications and combinatorial advanced cancer treatments and diagnostics.

Duke Scholars

Author Jennifer Yunyan Zhang Dermatology