Selenium Overcomes Doxorubicin Resistance in Their Nano-platforms Against Breast and Colon Cancers

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nanomedicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Breast and colon cancers are leading global health concerns.
• Doxorubicin (DOX) resistance significantly limits treatment efficacy in these cancers.
• Novel strategies are needed to overcome chemoresistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if selenium nanoparticles (nano-Se) can overcome doxorubicin (DOX) resistance in breast and colon cancer cells.
• To evaluate the combined effect of nano-Se and nano-DOX on cancer cell viability and key cellular processes.
• To explore the potential of nano-Se/nano-DOX as a strategy against DOX-resistant cancers.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of selenium nanoparticles (nano-Se) and doxorubicin nanoparticles (nano-DOX).
• Treatment of human breast (MCF7, MDA-MB-231) and colon (HCT 116, Caco-2) cancer cells with nano-Se, nano-DOX, or their combination.
• Assessment of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, necrosis, cellular zinc, glucose uptake, and redox status.

Main Results:

• Nano-DOX demonstrated cytotoxicity, with varying sensitivity across cell lines (MCF7, Caco-2 > MDA-MB-231, HCT 116).
• The combination of nano-DOX and nano-Se significantly enhanced chemoresistance mitigation, particularly in MCF7 and Caco-2 cells.
• Combined nano-treatment inhibited glucose uptake and rebalanced redox status, increasing cellular zinc and reducing oxidative stress markers (NO, MDA).
• Caco-2 cells showed higher sensitivity to nano-DOX and nano-Se, with the combination inducing significant late apoptosis.

Conclusions:

• Selenium nanoparticles can effectively overcome doxorubicin resistance in specific breast and colon cancer cell lines.
• The combination of nano-Se and nano-DOX presents a promising therapeutic strategy for managing chemoresistant cancers.
• This nano-based approach warrants further investigation for clinical translation in colon and breast cancer therapy.