Journal
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48959-8
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Funding
- Rappaport Institute funds
- Israel Ministry of Science, Technology and Space (MOST)
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Cancer stem cells, also termed tumor initiating cells (TICs), are a rare population of cells within the tumor mass which initiate tumor growth and metastasis. In pancreatic cancer, TICs significantly contribute to tumor re-growth after therapy, due to their intrinsic resistance. Here we demonstrate that copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are cytotoxic against TIC-enriched PANC1 human pancreatic cancer cell cultures. Specifically, treatment with CuO-NPs decreases cell viability and increases apoptosis in TIC-enriched PANC1 cultures to a greater extent than in standard PANC1 cultures. These effects are associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that CuO-NPs inhibit tumor growth in a pancreatic tumor model in mice. Tumors from mice treated with CuO-NPs contain a significantly higher number of apoptotic TICs in comparison to tumors from untreated mice, confirming that CuO-NPs target TICs in vivo. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of using CuO-NPs as a new therapeutic modality for pancreatic cancer.
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