Evaluation of a chloroaluminium phthalocyanine-loaded magnetic nanoemulsion as a drug delivery device to treat glioblastoma using hyperthermia and photodynamic therapy

This study reports the production of magnetic nanoemulsions (MNEs) loaded with citrate-coated maghemite nanoparticles (0.15 × 1016 or 1.50 × 1016 particle per mL) and chloroaluminum-phthalocyanine (0.05 mg mL−1). Using different cell line models (BM-MSC, U87MG, and T98G) an in vitro test was performed to assess the cell viability while incubating the cells with the two prepared formulations, before and after performing hyperthermia (HPT: 1 MHz frequency, 40 Oe magnetic field amplitude) and photodynamic therapy (PDT at 670 nm wavelength, 700 mJ cm−2 energy density). We found from all cell lines that under the HPT treatment the cell viability reduction has averaged 15%, regardless the magnetic nanoparticle content within the MNE. Using both MNE formulation (0.15 × 1016 or 1.54 × 1016 magnetic particle per mL) and applying only PDT light treatment we reach an average decrease of 52%. However, a total reduction of about 70% was found while combining the HPT and PDT treatments. Confocal studies clearly indicated the cytoplasm localization and active site of the drug delivery device. Therefore, the combined treatment of HPT and PDT represents a promising paradigm for brain cancer intervention, such as glioblastoma.