Intracellular ROS Induction by [email protected] Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Frontiers of Permanent Optically Active Holes in Breast Cancer Theranostic

In this study, we investigated whether ZnO coating on Ag nanoparticles (NPs) tunes electron flux and hole figuration at the metal–semiconductor interface under UV radiation. This effect triggers the photoactivity and generation of reactive oxygen species from [email protected] NPs, which results in enhanced cytotoxic effects and apoptotic cell death in human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231). In this context, upregulation of apoptotic cascade proteins (i.e., Bax/Bcl2 association, p53, cytochrome c, and caspase-3) along with activation of oxidative stress proteins suggested the occurrence of apoptosis by [email protected] NPs in cancer cells through the mitochondrial pathway. Also, preincubation of breast cancer cells with [email protected] NPs in dark conditions muted NP-related toxic effects and consequent apoptotic fate, highlighting biocompatible properties of unexcited [email protected] NPs. Furthermore, the diagnostic efficacy of [email protected] NPs as computed tomography (CT)/optical nanoprobes was investigated. Results confirmed the efficacy of the photoactivated system in obtaining desirable outcomes from CT/optical imaging, which represents novel theranostic NPs for simultaneous imaging and treatment of cancer