Natural deep eutectic solvent supported targeted solid-liquid polymer carrier for breast cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Solid-liquid nanocarriers (SLNs) are advanced platforms for delivering bioactive agents.
• Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) offer biocompatible components for nanocarrier formulation.
• Biotin-conjugated lysine-polyethylene glycol copolymer enhances targeting and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel SLN system using NADES and a biotin-conjugated copolymer.
• To evaluate the encapsulation efficiency of paclitaxel (PTX) and 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-HC) within the SLN.
• To assess the in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficacy of the drug-loaded SLN against breast cancer.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of SLN properties using FT-IR, TGA, XRD, DLS, SEM, and TEM.
• Encapsulation of PTX and 7-HC via dialysis, with drug loading assessed by UV-visible spectroscopy.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays on MDA-MB-231 cells and in vivo studies in a breast cancer rat model.

Main Results:

• The SLN system exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including high drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency.
• In vitro studies showed reduced viability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
• In vivo studies demonstrated decreased lysosomal enzymes and increased caspase levels, indicating tumor suppression.

Conclusions:

• The developed PTX- and 7-HC-loaded SLN system possesses significant anticancer properties.
• This nanocarrier system shows potential for effective drug delivery in cancer treatment.
• The combination of NADES and biotin-conjugated copolymer offers a promising approach for novel cancer therapies.