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<p>Cancer is a leading cause of mortality, with head and neck cancers (HNCs) accounting for nearly 5% of cases. Radiotherapy (RT) is the mainstay treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but its effectiveness is often limited by radioresistance and damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Radiosensitizers are therefore being explored to enhance RT efficacy. Melatonin has shown the ability to promote radiation-induced tumor cell death while protecting normal tissues, whereas gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), owing to their high atomic number and biocompatibility, can amplify radiation effects. Green synthesis of AuNPs using bioactive compounds such as gallic acid (GA), a natural antioxidant and anticancer agent, provides additional advantages by reducing toxicity while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. In this study, GA-coated AuNPs (GA-AuNPs; mean diameter 17.5 ± 3.8&#xa0;nm) were synthesized via a one-step chemical method and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Their radiosensitizing potential, along with that of melatonin, was evaluated in KB head and neck cancer cells exposed to 4&#xa0;Gy X-ray irradiation through assays of cell viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA damage. GA-AuNPs and melatonin individually enhanced radiation-induced cytotoxicity, while their combination produced a stronger increase in apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA double-strand breaks. These results suggest that GA-AuNPs and melatonin cooperatively enhance oxidative injury and apoptosis, highlighting their promise as radiosensitizers for improving therapeutic outcomes in HNSCC.</p>

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Investigating the radiosensitization effect of gallic acid-coated gold nanoparticles combined with melatonin on head and neck cancer cells: an in vitro study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月29日

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  • Hasan Goodarzi,
  • Seyed Mohammad Amini,
  • Fereshteh Koosha,
  • Mohadeseh Mohammadi

摘要

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality, with head and neck cancers (HNCs) accounting for nearly 5% of cases. Radiotherapy (RT) is the mainstay treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but its effectiveness is often limited by radioresistance and damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Radiosensitizers are therefore being explored to enhance RT efficacy. Melatonin has shown the ability to promote radiation-induced tumor cell death while protecting normal tissues, whereas gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), owing to their high atomic number and biocompatibility, can amplify radiation effects. Green synthesis of AuNPs using bioactive compounds such as gallic acid (GA), a natural antioxidant and anticancer agent, provides additional advantages by reducing toxicity while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. In this study, GA-coated AuNPs (GA-AuNPs; mean diameter 17.5 ± 3.8 nm) were synthesized via a one-step chemical method and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Their radiosensitizing potential, along with that of melatonin, was evaluated in KB head and neck cancer cells exposed to 4 Gy X-ray irradiation through assays of cell viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA damage. GA-AuNPs and melatonin individually enhanced radiation-induced cytotoxicity, while their combination produced a stronger increase in apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA double-strand breaks. These results suggest that GA-AuNPs and melatonin cooperatively enhance oxidative injury and apoptosis, highlighting their promise as radiosensitizers for improving therapeutic outcomes in HNSCC.