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Encapsulation of Hydrophobic Drugs in Shell-by-Shell Coated Nanoparticles for Radio-and Chemotherapy-An In Vitro
Stefanie Klein1, Tobias Luchs2, Andreas Leng2
1Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Physical Chemistry I and ICMM, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen Nuremberg, Egerlandstr. 3, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 15, 2020
Summary
Novel nanoparticles deliver anticancer drugs like quercetin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin, releasing them with X-rays. These drug-loaded nanoparticles show excellent performance in reducing cancer cell survival.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial for cancer therapy.
- Hydrophobic drugs often face challenges with solubility and targeted delivery.
- Metal oxide nanoparticles offer versatile platforms for drug encapsulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer novel bilayer-coated titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery.
- To investigate the controlled release of anticancer drugs (quercetin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin) using X-ray irradiation.
- To evaluate the efficacy of these drug-loaded nanoparticles in cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a bilayer shell on TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles using phosphonic acid and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate.
- Encapsulation of hydrophobic anticancer drugs quercetin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin.
- X-ray irradiation for drug release and subsequent cell culture studies (MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells).
- Assessment of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, apoptosis markers (TUNEL assay), and mitochondrial membrane potential.
Main Results:
- The developed double-layer nanoparticles successfully encapsulated hydrophobic drugs, creating suitable pockets for drug intake.
- X-ray irradiation triggered the release of quercetin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin into cancer cells.
- In non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells, the drugs acted as antioxidants, protecting against radiation.
- In cancerous MCF-7 cells, the drugs increased ROS, induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway, and significantly decreased cell survival post-irradiation.
Conclusions:
- The bilayer-stabilized nanoparticles serve as effective drug delivery vehicles for hydrophobic anticancer agents.
- X-ray-triggered drug release offers a promising strategy for targeted cancer therapy.
- The nanoparticles demonstrate differential effects on normal and cancerous cells, highlighting their therapeutic potential.
