Compression of radio and photo sensitivity of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) conjugated hollow gold nanoparticles (HGNs) on KYSE cell line of oesophageal cancer

Objective(s): Nanoparticles can be used in therapies by increasing drug delivery and radiosensitivity. In this study, we investigated the radio- and photo-sensitivity of the conjugation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and hollow gold nanoparticles (conjugate) on the KYSE cells. Methods: After the determination of the dark toxicity of the therapeutic agent, the experiments were performed at three different radiation doses. Then, the photodynamic effect of each of group was analyzed at three optical doses.Results: There was no significant difference between the control and treatment groups in X-ray treatment. In the photodynamic therapy (PDT), a significant difference was noted between the control group and the treatment groups, particularly within the 5-ALA and conjugate groups. Notably, the conjugate group induced approximately 90% cell death.Conclusions: The study found that the conjugate induced a cell death rate more than three times higher than that of free 5-ALA alone. Thus, it can be concluded that the conjugate serves as an effective delivery agent for 5-ALA and enhances tumor cell destruction following PDT.