# Targeted Cancer Therapy with Gold–Iron Oxide Nanourchins: Inducing Oxidative Stress, Paraptosis, and Sensitizing Tumor Cells to Cisplatin

## TL;DR

Gold-iron oxide nanourchins show promise in cancer therapy by causing cell death and improving the effectiveness of cisplatin.

## Contribution

The study introduces gold-iron oxide nanourchins as a novel approach to induce oxidative stress and enhance chemotherapy in resistant cancer cells.

## Key findings

- Gold-iron oxide nanourchins caused dose-dependent cytotoxicity in multiple cancer cell lines.
- NUs induced oxidative stress and activated autophagic and paraptotic cell death in A549 lung cancer cells.
- NUs enhanced the efficacy of cisplatin in A549 cells, suggesting potential for overcoming drug resistance.

## Abstract

Nanotechnology has revolutionized cancer therapy by enabling targeted drug delivery and overcoming limitations associated with conventional chemotherapy. In this study, we explored the anticancer potential of gold–iron oxide (Au-Fe3O4@PEG) nanourchins (NUs), a class of nanoparticles with unique shape, surface features, and plasmonic properties. We tested NUs on several cancer cell lines, including A375 (melanoma), MCF7 (breast), A549 (lung), and MIA PaCa-2 (pancreatic), and observed significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity, with A549 cells exhibiting the highest resistance. Our findings also demonstrate that NUs induce oxidative stress, disrupt mitochondrial function, and activate autophagic and paraptotic cell death pathways in A549 lung cancer cells. Additionally, we explored the potential of NUs to enhance the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy, specifically cisplatin, in A549. The results provide valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of NUs in the context of cancer treatment, particularly for overcoming drug resistance and enhancing the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy.