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Cytotoxic, Apoptotic and Genotoxic Effects of Lipid-Based and Polymeric Nano Micelles, an In Vitro Evaluation

Fatemeh Bahadori1, Abdurrahim Kocyigit2, Hayat Onyuksel3

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bezmialem Vakif University, Fatih, Istanbul 34093, Turkey. fatemehbahadori@hotmail.com.

Toxics
|January 6, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Sterically stabilized micelles (SSM) show low cytotoxicity and minimal DNA damage compared to polymeric micelles (PM). This study highlights material differences in nano drug delivery systems for safer cancer therapeutics.

Area of Science:

  • Nanotechnology
  • Materials Science
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Self-assembly systems (SAS), including micelles and liposomes, are key Nano Drug Delivery Systems (NDDS) for cancer therapeutics.
  • Commercially available nano-chemotherapeutics utilize SAS, yet material-specific toxicity comparisons are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and compare the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of two distinct SAS: Sterically Stabilized Micelles (SSM) and Polymeric Micelles (PM).
  • To assess the impact of material composition on the safety profile of these nano drug delivery systems.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized L-929 healthy mouse fibroblast cells for toxicity assessments.
  • Employed Sulforhodamine-B, WST-1, Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide staining, and alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assays.
  • Investigated cytotoxicity and genotoxicity mechanisms, including apoptosis and DNA damage.

Main Results:

  • SSM exhibited very low cytotoxicity even at 40 mg/mL over 72 hours.
  • PM demonstrated significant toxicity, inducing apoptosis with an ED50 of 3 mg/mL.
  • SSM caused negligible DNA damage, whereas PM induced detectable DNA chain breaks.

Conclusions:

  • SSM presents a safer alternative to PM for Nano Drug Delivery Systems due to its superior biocompatibility and reduced genotoxicity.
  • Material choice in SAS is critical for developing effective and safe cancer therapeutics.
Keywords:
Nano Drug Delivery Systemcytotoxicitygenotoxicitylipid-based micellespolymeric micelletargeted cancer therapy

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