Nanomedicine Journal

Nanomedicine Journal

Evaluation of 5-aminolevulinic acid-functionalized gold nanoclusters for combined photodynamic and radiation therapy in K562 leukemia cells

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Hossein Khosravi 1
Soheila Saeedi 2
Alireza Goodarzi 3
Safoora Nikzad 4
Fatemeh Amiri 3
Abbas Farmani 5
1 Department of Radiology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
2 Department of Health Information Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
3 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
4 Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine Hamadan University of Medical Sciences
5 Dental Implant Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
10.22038/nmj.2026.96784.2443
Abstract
Objective(s): The present work investigated the therapeutic potential of 5-aminolevulinic acid-functionalized gold nanoparticles (5-ALA-AuNPs) when combined with radiotherapy (RT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in K562 leukemia cells. Particular attention was given to whether altering the order in which RT and PDT were administered could affect the resulting therapeutic response.
Materials and Methods: For the treatment experiments, K562 cells were plated in 96-well culture plates at 10,000 cells per well. The cells were then exposed to 5-ALA-AuNPs at three concentrations (1.25, 0.625, and 0.3125 mg/mL). Treatment groups were subsequently subjected to either laser irradiation (810 nm, 0.1 W for 60 s), X-ray exposure (2 or 4 Gy at 6 MeV), or a combination of the two modalities administered in different sequences. Viability was quantified by the MTT assay 48 h following completion of the treatments.
Results: Among all treatment regimens, the administration of laser irradiation prior to X-ray exposure at 4 Gy in the presence of 5-ALA-AuNPs resulted in the lowest cell survival rate (27.01%). Higher nanoparticle concentrations correlated with greater cytotoxicity. The treatment sequence significantly impacted outcomes, with the "laser-before-radiotherapy" protocol demonstrating superior efficacy.
Conclusions: 5-ALA-AuNPs exhibit potential as dual radiosensitizing and photosensitizing agents. The sequence of irradiation is a critical determinant of therapeutic outcome, with laser priming prior to RT showing the greatest promise. However, due to the absence of detailed physicochemical characterization and mechanistic validation (e.g., ROS, apoptosis, cellular uptake), these findings are preliminary. Further studies are essential to confirm clinical applicability.
Keywords
Gold nanoparticles
Photochemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Aminolevulinic acid
K562 cells
Subjects
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Nanomedicine Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 November 2026