Enhanced Intracellular Hyperthermia Efficiency by Magnetic Nanoparticles Modified with Nucleus and Mitochondria Targeting Peptides.

In order to investigate whether cell organelle targeting peptide can transport magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into specific cell organelle, peptides bearing nuclear localization signal (NLS) or mitochondria targeting sequences were coagulated to MNPs. In vitro cytotoxicity study on the human liver cancer cells (HepG2) was tested by using MTT assay. Sub-cellular location of each peptide modified MNP (PEP-MNPs) was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The uptake of HepG2 cells growing in PEP-MNPs was measured by using ICP-OES. Magnetic induction heating efficacies of PEP-MNPs were analyzed by exposing the PEP-MNPs containing cells in an alternating magnetic field (AMF). It was demonstrated that PEP-MNPs were efficient agents for cancer nanothermotherapy with satisfactory biocompatibility. TEM showed that the fate of MNPs inside the cells depended on the peptide sequence attached to the particle surface. The uptake improvement was observed both in PEP-MNPs bearing NLS peptides and in PEP-MNPs bearing mitochondria targeting sequences. Virus original endocytosis sequence can enhance the uptake. MNP bearing mitochondria targeting sequence exerted a better magnetic induction hyperthermia performance comparing to that of NLS. Our investigation provides a strategy for fabrication cell organelle targeting magnetic nanoparticles. For instance, mitochondria targeting peptide conjugated MNPs for highly-efficiency magnetic nanothermotherapy and nuclear targeting peptides conjugated MNPs for gene magnetofection.