Graphene Oxide⁻PEG⁻Protocatechuic Acid Nanocomposite Formulation with Improved Anticancer Properties.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Chemotherapy faces limitations due to systemic toxicity and poor targeting of cancer cells.
• Developing targeted drug delivery systems is crucial for improving cancer treatment efficacy and reducing side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel nanocomposite delivery system for protocatechuic acid (PCA) for targeted cancer therapy.
• To assess the efficacy and toxicity of the developed system against liver and colon cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a graphene oxide⁻polyethylene glycol (GO⁻PEG) nanocarrier loaded with protocatechuic acid (PCA).
• Coating the nanocarrier with folic acid (FA) to target cancer cells (GO⁻PEG⁻PCA⁻FA).
• In vitro evaluation of anticancer activity against HEP-G2 (liver) and HT-29 (colon) cancer cells, and toxicity assessment on 3T3 (fibroblast) cells.

Main Results:

• The GO⁻PEG⁻PCA⁻FA system demonstrated significantly higher anticancer activity against cancer cells compared to free PCA.
• The targeted nanocomposite exhibited reduced toxicity towards normal fibroblast cells.
• Folic acid coating enhanced the anticancer efficacy compared to the uncoated system.
• Sustained in vitro release of PCA was observed at physiological pH (7.4) and lysosomal pH (4.8).

Conclusions:

• The developed folate-targeted nanocomposite delivery system (GO⁻PEG⁻PCA⁻FA) is a promising approach for enhanced cancer chemotherapy.
• The system offers improved efficacy and reduced toxicity, warranting further in vivo investigation.