MAGNETITE NANOPARTICLES AS CONTRAST AGENTS FOR TERAHERTZ IMAGING ENDOSCOPY IN GASTROENTEROLOGY - IN VITRO SAFETY ESTIMATION

Aims Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging is a relatively new arrived technology, with a plethora of possible applications in physics, chemistry, biology, materials science and medicine. In medicine, terahertz imaging could represent the future of noninvasive methods for early detection of different pathologies, with a special focus on oncology. The background for terahertz imaging is based on differences in water content and structural variations in tissues, normal and neoplastic structures displays obviously different THz absorption. An important aspect of terahertz imaging is also the identification and the development of new contrast agents to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of the method. The aim of study is the evaluation of the new developed nanoparticles as contrast agents by in vitro tests in order to assess the safety profile and the possible genotoxic impact.

Methods AGS (Human Gastric adenocarcinoma cell line) cells were cultivated in a DMEM medium, supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. After the cell cultures were initiated, the growth media was changed with a complete medium supplemented with the magnetite nanoparticles (functionalized either citric acid or carboxymethylcellulose) in different dilutions. Duration of treatment was of 24 hours and the cell viability was assessed by MTT test and genotoxicity by COMET assay

Results The impact on cell survival was dependent on type of functionalized nanoparticles, the concentration of the nanoparticles added to the medium, showing a low impact on cell viability at low doses. Investigation of genotoxicity also proved that magnetite nanoparticles had a low impact on genetic material integrity of AGS cell line.

Conclusions New developed magnetite based nanoparticles has been proved to be well tolerated, without any significant cyototoxic or genotoxic effects.