Conclusion
Transfection of AFP@Fth could be used for early diagnosis and for enhanced treatment of live cancers.
Methods
The AFP@Fth plasmid was transfected into AFP positive cells. The expression of intracellular Ferritin was verified by Western blot, and the upregulation of TfR was confirmed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis. Cellular iron accumulation resulting in decreased imaging signals was examined by magnetic resonance imagining. Doxorubicin liposome modified with transferrin (Tf-LPD) was prepared to investigate the efficiency of the subsequent treatment after transfection. The enhanced drug distribution and effects were investigated both in vitro and in vivo.
Results
Both Ferritin and TfR were overexpressed after transfection. The transfected cells showed higher intracellular iron accumulation and resulted in a lower MR T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) intensity, suggesting that the transfection of AFP@Fth could be a potential strategy for early diagnosis of liver cancer. The following treatment efficacy was revealed by Tf-LPD. As compared with un-transfected cells, transfected cells exhibited higher uptake of transferrin-modified liposomes (Tf-LP), which was due to the specific interaction between Tf and TfR overexpressed on the transfected cells. This is also the reason why Tf-LPD showed better in vitro and in vivo anticancer ability than doxorubicin loaded liposome (LPD). These results suggested that transfection of AFP@Fth could result in enhanced therapy of liver cancer.