Cited by 131Nanoparticles: synthesis and applicationsRadiation Therapy and DosimetryGold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Differential cytotoxic and radiosensitizing effects of silver nanoparticles on triple-negative breast cancer and non-triple-negative breast cells

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Singh, Ravi, Swanner, Jessica, Mims, Jade, Akman, Steven, Furdui, Cristina, Torti, Suzy, Carroll, David·2015·International Journal of Nanomedicine

Abstract

Identification of differential sensitivity of cancer cells as compared to normal cells has the potential to reveal a therapeutic window for the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a therapeutic agent for cancer therapy. Exposure to AgNPs is known to cause dose-dependent toxicities, including induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage, which can lead to cell death. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes are more vulnerable to agents that cause oxidative stress and DNA damage than are other breast cancer subtypes. We hypothesized that TNBC may be susceptible to AgNP cytotoxicity, a potential vulnerability that could be exploited for the development of new therapeutic agents. We show that AgNPs are highly cytotoxic toward TNBC cells at doses that have little effect on nontumorigenic breast cells or cells derived from liver, kidney, and monocyte lineages. AgNPs induced more DNA and oxidative damage in TNBC cells than in other breast cells. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that AgNPs reduce TNBC growth and improve radiation therapy. These studies show that unmodified AgNPs act as a self-therapeutic agent with a combination of selective cytotoxicity and radiation dose-enhancement effects in TNBC at doses that are nontoxic to noncancerous breast and other cells.

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Crossref · 10.2147/ijn.s80349

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  • Swanner et al. demonstrated that silver nanoparticles significantly enhanced clonogenic radiosensitivity and improved in vivo tumor growth inhibition following irradiation.

    “Among relatively simple high-Z systems, Swanner et al. demonstrated that silver nanoparticles significantly enhanced clonogenic radiosensitivity and improved in vivo tumor growth inhibition following irradiation [30].”

    From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Results section on clonogenic assays reports that silver nanoparticles enhanced the radiation response of breast cancer cells, particularly triple-negative cells. The xenograft Results section reports the greatest tumor-growth inhibition with nanoparticles plus irradiation, but no statistically significant difference between that group and either treatment alone. Thus, improved in vivo inhibition relative to irradiation alone is not established (page numbers unavailable in our copy). (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • High-Z nanoplatforms based on silver, gadolinium, platinum, gold, and bismuth enhance radiation-induced energy deposition through photoelectric interactions and secondary electron generation.

    “High-atomic-number (high-Z) nanoplatforms based on silver (Z = 47), gadolinium (Z = 64), platinum (Z = 78), gold (Z = 79), and bismuth (Z = 83) enhance radiation-induced energy deposition through photoelectric interactions and secondary electron generation [15,20,27,28,30,33,34,36,50,63].”

    From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Results (page unavailable) report that silver nanoparticles increased radiation-associated DNA damage in breast cancer cells, and the Discussion (page unavailable) describes gold nanoparticles as radiation sensitizers. The paper does not establish the claim for gadolinium, platinum, or bismuth, or attribute the observed effects to photoelectric interactions and secondary electron generation. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Increased ROS production and DNA damage following irradiation were commonly reported in association with high-Z systems.

    “Increased ROS production and DNA damage following irradiation were commonly reported in association with these systems [15,20,27,30,33], as summarized in Table 2.”

    From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Results section reports increased DNA-damage marker γH2AX after irradiation in silver-nanoparticle-treated breast cells compared with radiation alone. The Discussion says silver nanoparticles increase intracellular ROS, but does not establish increased ROS production following irradiation; it describes ROS findings from nanoparticle exposure without that condition. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Nanoparticle-assisted irradiation was consistently associated with increased ROS production, leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased DNA damage.

    “This process was consistently associated with increased ROS production following irradiation, leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased DNA damage [15,20,27,30,33].”

    From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Results section reports greater DNA damage after silver nanoparticles plus irradiation than after irradiation alone, and separately reports oxidative protein damage after nanoparticle exposure. The Discussion says prior studies found increased ROS with silver nanoparticles and notes decreased mitochondrial activity at higher nanoparticle doses. It does not establish that irradiation increased ROS or that ROS caused the reported mitochondrial and DNA effects. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • These effects were observed in a wide range of nanoplatforms and experimental models and were frequently accompanied by markers of persistent DNA damage and impaired cellular recovery after irradiation.

    “Across the included studies, these effects were observed in a wide range of nanoplatforms and experimental models and were frequently accompanied by markers of persistent DNA damage and impaired cellular recovery after irradiation [15,20,27,30,33,34].”

    From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Results (page unavailable) report increased γH2AX one hour after irradiation and reduced clonogenic growth in breast-cell lines treated with silver nanoparticles. These findings support DNA damage and impaired colony-forming survival, but a one-hour measurement does not establish persistent DNA damage. This paper tests silver nanoparticles in breast-cell models; it does not itself establish the sentence’s breadth across nanoplatforms or the frequency of these findings across studies. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Singh, R., Swanner, J., Mims, J., Akman, S., Furdui, C., Torti, S., & Carroll, D.
Affiliations
  • Wake Forest University Health Sciences (US)
  • Roper St. Francis Healthcare (US)
  • UConn Health (US)
  • Wake Forest University (US)
Corresponding author
Singh, Ravi
Venue
International Journal of Nanomedicine
Published
2015-06
Volume
10
Pages
3937
ISSN
  • 1176-9114 (ISSN-L)
  • 1178-2013
OpenAlex
W1742315769
Cited by
130
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 2
FWCI
5.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Nanomedicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Dove Medical Press (Taylor and Francis Group) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • Wake Forest University (P30 CA012197, NCI CCSG P30CA012197)
  • National Institutes of Health (5t32ca079448-15, NCI CCSG P30CA012197, CCSG P30CA012197)
  • Wake Forest School of Medicine (P30CA012197)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL091797)
  • National Cancer Institute (T32-CA079448, R33 CA1777461, R00CA154006, K99CA154006, NCI CCSG P30CA012197, CCSG P30CA012197, R33CA177461, P30CA012197)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM095440)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R21ES025645)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials › Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications
Keywords
silver nanoparticles, triple-negative breast cancer, radiosensitization, selective cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, DNA damage, radiation enhancement, nanoparticle toxicity, therapeutic window, breast cancer cell lines
MeSH terms
Antineoplastic Agents, Breast Neoplasms, Cell Survival, Female, Humans, Radiation-Sensitizing Agents, Silver, Cell Line, Tumor, Metal Nanoparticles, Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

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