Neutron-activated, plasmonically excitable Fe-Pt-Yb₂O₃ nanoparticles delivering anti-cancer radiation against human glioblastoma cells

Magnetic nanoparticles can be functionalized in many ways for biomedical applications. Here, we combine four advantageous features in a novel Fe-Pt-Yb2O3 core-shell nanoparticle. (a) The nanoparticles have a size of 10 nm allowing them to diffuse through neuronal tissue. (b) The particles are superparamagnetic after synthesis and ferromagnetic after annealing, enabling directional control by magnetic fields, enhance NMRI contrast, and hyperthermia treatment. (c) After neutron-activation of the shell, they carry low-energetic, short half-life beta-radiation from Yb-175, Yb-177, and Lu-177. (d) Additionally, the particles can be optically visualized by plasmonic excitation and luminescence. To demonstrate the potential of the particles for cancer treatment, we exposed cultured human glioblastoma cells (LN-18) to non-activated and activated particles to confirm that the particles are internalized, and that the beta-radiation of the radioisotopes incorporated in the neutron-activated shell of the nanoparticles kills more than 98% of the LN-18 cancer cells, promising for future anti-cancer applications.