Figure 6: Nanophores as in vitro and in vivo chemotherapeutic vehicles.

(a) Cytotoxicity profile of the human prostate cancer cells LNCaP treated with co-administered free drugs or Ferumoxytol that was loaded with both the PI3 kinase inhibitor BEZ235 and the anti-androgen MDV3100 (mean±s.e.m., n=3). (b) Representative IVIS images of DiR-loaded nanophores demonstrating the fluorophore’s localization in the tumours. (c–e) Drug-loaded nanophores (FH-Bortezomib or FH-Doxo) efficiently reduced tumour volume in mice bearing (c,d) human prostate and (e) human breast xenografts (mean±s.e.m.; n=3 per treatment group for the Bortezomib study; for prostate cancer chemotherapy with Doxorubicin: n_DMSO=3, n_Doxo=3, n_FH-Doxo=4; for breast cancer chemotherapy with Doxorubicin: n_DMSO=3, n_Doxo=3, n_FH-Doxo=4). (f–h) The bar graphs depict the change in tumour volume between day 10 and 0 of the (c,d) treatment regimes. (i) Biodistribution profiles of the free and nanophore-encapsulated ¹³¹I-PU-H71 24 h after administration (n=4 per treatment group). (j) Tumour retention profiles of free and nanophore-encapsulated ¹³¹I-PU-H71 (%Id/g: % injected dose/tissue mass, n_2h=3 per treatment group, n_8h=3 per treatment group, n_24h=4 per treatment group), with the corresponding net change in drug delivery and retention achieved with the nanophores (Δ[PU-H71]_NP).