Enhancing Chordoma\nRadiotherapy: Ta@PVP Nanoparticles\nas Potent Radiosensitizers

Surgical resection and high-dose radiotherapy constitute\nthe standard\ntherapeutic approaches for chordoma. However, the efficacy of radiotherapy\nis often compromised by the tumor microenvironment’s hypoxic\nconditions, which confer radiation resistance, and by the potential\ndamage to adjacent spinal cord and neural structures from elevated\nradiation doses. To address these challenges, we employed high biocompatible\npoly(vinylpyrrolidone)-modified tantalum nanoparticles (Ta@PVP NPs)\nas a potent radiosensitizer to augment the radiotherapy sensitivity\nof chordoma. Upon exposure to X-ray irradiation, Ta@PVP NPs demonstrated\nthe capability to efficiently deposit X-ray radiation energy within\nthe tumor microenvironment, subsequently generating reactive oxygen\nspecies (ROS) that induce oxidative stress in the tumor. Both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> experiments revealed\nthat Ta@PVP NPs significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effects of X-ray,\nthereby markedly inhibiting the proliferation of chordoma cells and\nimpeding tumor growth. This study explored the radiosensitization\npotential of Ta@PVP NPs in the context of chordoma, highlighting the\napplication of radiosensitizers as a promising strategy to augment\nthe efficacy of chordoma radiotherapy.