Evaluation of the modulation of microbicidal and tumoricidal activities of neutrophils after contact with gold nanoparticles coated with silica (AuSHINs)

• Grant number: 24/01272-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Karina Alves de Toledo
• Grantee: João Guilherme Beloto Moraes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis, AP.TEM

Abstract

Cancer and infectious diseases present complex and limited treatments that, despite advances in research, continue to cause thousands of victims worldwide. The use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has emerged as an alternative to conventional treatments. The interaction between AuNPs and cells of the immune system, particularly neutrophils, has been of great interest. Neutrophils act (or may act) in carrying these nanostructures to the target tissue, thereby enhancing their efficiency. They are first-line defense cells, known for their microbicidal, tumoricidal, and inflammatory activities. The number of studies describing the effects of the interaction between neutrophils and AuNPs has grown, but many gaps still remain unanswered. It has recently been demonstrated that coating AuNPs with silica contributes to the improvement of various properties, making them more versatile and adaptable to different application contexts, especially in the biomedical field. Understanding how different forms of AuNPs, coated with silica (AuSHINs), interact with neutrophils is crucial for understanding the repercussions of this interaction on the immune system's functioning. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of AuSHINs on the microbicidal and tumoricidal activities of neutrophils. To this end, different neutrophilic activities will be evaluated in vitro after contact with AuSHINs: viability, migration, release of NETs, phagocytosis, and antitumoral effects. The results generated by this work will provide insights for a better understanding of how different forms of AuSHINs may alter the functioning of neutrophils and, thus, guide the development of microbicidal and antitumoral therapies.