Anticancer properties of nanoceria

Abstract

CeO2 (nanoceria) is the most important rare-earth oxide, which application is rapidly emerging. These nanoparticles are potent free radical scavengers, due to coexistence of Ce3+ and Ce4+ ions and formation of oxygen vacancies on their surface. These ions are promising candidates for improving the treatment of cancers, drug delivery and catalysis. First, they collect reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protect healthy cells from oxidative stress. Also, they show cytotoxicity, which can be manipulated for treatment of cancer cells by inducing targeted cell death with minimal toxicity to surrounding healthy cells. This dual behavior of nanoceria presents a great pharmacological potential. We established the method for synthesizing these nanoparticles. This was particularly challenging because of their low solubility. We further coated these nanoparticles with glucose to facilitate entry into the cells. Untill now, anticancer properties of nanoceria have been poorly characterized. Hence, the aim of this work was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of nanoceria in several cancer cell lines. Nanoceria can be beneficial for the improvement of cancer treatments and a promising candidate for further medical aplication.