Curcumin-gold nanoshell mediated near-infrared irradiation on human ovarian cancer cell: in vitro study

Ovarian cancer is considered a predominant female reproductive malignancy and poses a significant threat due to its 80–90% fatality rate. The typical approach involves surgery and chemotherapy, which due to problems such as drug resistance, encourage researchers to use new methods such as nanotechnology. The current study introduces a novel strategy: leveraging Curcumin-Gold Nanoshells (Cur-AuNShs) to combat chemotherapy’s adverse effects and overcome drug resistance through hyperthermia mediation. Gold-based nanoparticles that absorb laser have shown the potential to target and treat cancer selectively through highly efficient light-to-heat conversion. This experimental study focused on the synthesis of AuNShs and their subsequent conjugation with Cur. The gold shell coverage on the surfaces of silica nanoparticles was examined using UV–VIS spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Zeta potential analysis were employed to evaluate the stability of particle size and surface charge. Human ovarian carcinoma cell lines (SKOV-3) were treated with a combination of Cur (15 μM) and AuNShs (75 μM), under the activation of near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation at a power of 2.5 W/cm3 for 5 or 10 min. Cell viability was then assessed using the MTT assay. Lastly, the expression levels of Bax, Bcl2, and HSPB1 genes were analyzed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) technique. The average diameter of the AuNShs was measured at 70 ± 7.1 nm. Findings revealed that after a 48 h incubation with Cur-AuNShs followed by 10 min of laser irradiation, cell viability decreased significantly from 44.3 ± 1.7 to 14.4 ± 1. Analysis using real-time PCR showed an increase in Bax expression alongside a decrease in Bcl2 expression. Additionally, the expression of the HSPB1 gene was reduced from 1.35 ± 1 to 0.9 ± 0.65 in the laser-treated Cur-AuNShs-NIR group. The AuNShs, when combined with hyperthermia at 43 °C, demonstrated potential as an effective carrier for Cur administration. This combination was associated with a greater activation of apoptosis compared to the free drug. Similar content being viewed by others Data availability No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

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This study was funded by a grant from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS). We would like to give great thanks to the Nanotechnology Department of Iran University of Medical Sciences. Funding This study was funded by a grant from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS). Author information Authors and Affiliations Contributions All the authors contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. Corresponding authors Ethics declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this study. Additional information Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. About this article Cite this article Rokhgireh, S., Chaichian, S., Mehdizadeh Kashi, A. et al. Curcumin-gold nanoshell mediated near-infrared irradiation on human ovarian cancer cell: in vitro study. Med Oncol 42, 145 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-025-02687-4 Received: Accepted: Published: Version of record: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-025-02687-4