This study evaluated a new drug delivery system for local radiotherapy on the base of nanoporous nanodiamond composites (NDC) labeled with β-emitting radionuclide rhenium-188. The biodistribution of labeled compound was assessed after intratumoral (i.t.) and intramuscular (i.m.) injection. 24 mice-bearing solid Ehrlich carcinoma xenografts received i.t. injections of 0.370 ± 0.074 MBq 188Re-nanoporous diamond composites. Another 24 intact mice were injected with the same preparation intramuscularly. The samples of different organs and tissues were collected for gamma count. After i.t. and i.m. administration of 188Re-nanoporous NDC a considerable amount of radioactivity retained at the site of injection. In tumor tissue the total amount of activity decreased from 92.68 % to 9.63 % of injected dose (ID) throughout the study. The removal of injected activity from muscular tissue was faster as compared with tumor tissue, and declined from 81.06 % to 8.40 % ID for up to 72 h. Therefore, after i.m. injection the accumulation of radioactivity in healthy organs and tissues was slightly higher than after i.t. injection. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that 188Renanoporous diamond composites had the potential radiotherapeutic significance.
Keywords: composite materials, nanodiamond, rhenium-188, cancer radiotherapy, local radiotherapy.