Nanoscintillator Coating: A Key Parameter That Strongly Impacts Internalization, Biocompatibility, and Therapeutic Efficacy in Pancreatic Cancer Models.

Pancreatic cancer is associated with a poor prognosis despite multimodal treatments. To improve the efficacy of radiotherapy, the use of nanoscintillators is emerging. Made of high-Z elements, they absorb X-rays more efficiently than tissues and can locally enhance the radiation dose provided they have accumulated near tumor cells. This study focuses on the role of the coating, a key parameter that controls both in vitro and in vivo properties of nanoparticles, including their internalization, biocompatibility, and therapeutic efficacy. Polyethylene glycol and tripolyphosphate molecules are used to coat lanthanum fluoride nanoscintillators, and their properties are evaluated on pancreatic cancer models. The experiments demonstrate a higher internalization of the nanoparticles when coated with tripolyphosphate, in both 2D and 3D culture models, correlating with greater efficacy under X-rays, which may be associated with higher radiation dose-enhancement. The nanoparticles are also injected intravenously in healthy or tumor-bearing mice in order to study their toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and biodistribution. Despite a strong liver and spleen accumulation, especially for the tripolyphosphate-coated nanoparticles, no toxicity is observed for either coating. Because they show promising radiation dose-enhancement in vitro in both culture models and a limited toxicity in vivo, polyethylene glycol-coated nanoparticles are good candidates for biomedical applications.