Hyaluronic acid-functionalized bismuth oxide nanoparticles for computed tomography imaging-guided radiotherapy of tumor.

The inherent radioresistance and inaccuracy of localization of tumors weaken the clinical implementation effectiveness of radiotherapy. To overcome these limitations, hyaluronic acid-functionalized bismuth oxide nanoparticles (HA-BiO NPs) were synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method for target-specific computed tomography (CT) imaging and radiosensitization of tumor. After functionalization with hyaluronic acid, the BiO NPs possessed favorable solubility in water and excellent biocompatibility and were uptaken specifically by cancer cells overexpressing CD44 receptors. The as-prepared HA-BiO NPs exhibited high X-ray attenuation efficiency and ideal radiosensitivity via synergizing X-rays to induce cell apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Remarkably, these properties offered excellent performance in active-targeting CT imaging and enhancement of radiosensitivity for inhibition of tumor growth. These findings demonstrated that HA-BiO NPs as theranostic agents exhibit great promise for CT imaging-guided radiotherapy in diagnosis and treatment of tumors.