Treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma using anti-HER2 immunonanoshells

Reza Fekrazad², Neda Hakimiha³, Enice Farokhi³, Mohammad Javad Rasaee⁴, Mehdi Shafiee Ardestani⁵, Katayoun AM Kalhori², Farzaneh Sheikholeslami^1
1Research & Development Department, Production and Research Division of the Pasteur Institute of Iran, Karaj, Iran; ²Dental Department, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Laser Research Center, Dental Faculty, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; ³Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran; ⁴Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; ⁵Hepatitis and AIDS Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran

Background: Worldwide, oral squamous cell carcinoma (potentially mediated by HER2) is recognized as the most commonly occurring malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. Anti-HER2 nanobodies conjugated to gold-silica nanoshells and used as photothermal treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma may provide a novel therapeutic alternative to current treatment for this disease.
Methods: KB epithelial or HeLaS3 cell cultures (controls) were exposed to these immunonanoshells, and plasmon resonance electron initiation specific to gold was employed to burn the tumor cells.
Results: Following this treatment, significant cell death occurred in the KB tumor cell cultures while there was no evidence of cellular damage or death in the HeLaS3 cell cultures.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that photothermal treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma has considerable advantages.

Keywords: anti-HER2 immunonanoshells, gold-silica nanoshells, photothermal treatment, oral squamous cell carcinoma