Targeted magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia for the treatment of oral cancer

Introduction Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma currently experience a five-year survival rate of approximately 60% with conventional surgical, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Magnetic hyperthermia offers an alternative treatment method by utilising the heating properties of magnetic nanoparticles to produce thermal ablation of the tumour site when exposed to an alternating magnetic field. In this study, we investigate in vitro if targeted magnetic hyperthermia offers a potential treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, with a biocompatible silica coating, were produced and conjugated with antibodies to target integrin alpha v beta 6, a well-characterised oral squamous cell carcinoma biomarker. Utilising the heating properties of the magnetic nanoparticles, we exposed them to an alternating magnetic field to produce thermo ablation of tumour cells either negative for or overexpressing integrin alpha v beta 6. Results The cell surface biomarker, alpha v beta 6 integrin, was upregulated in tissue biopsies from oral squamous cell carcinoma patients compared to normal tissue. Functionalisation of the silica coating with anti-alpha v beta 6 antibodies enabled direct targeting of the nanoparticles to alpha v beta 6 overexpressing cells and applying thermal therapy significantly increased killing of the targeted tumour cells compared to control cells. Conclusion Combining antibody-targeting magnetic nanoparticles with thermal ablation offers a promising therapy for the targeted treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.