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Published on: February 17, 2023
Preparation of injectable hydrophilic dextran/AgNPs nanocomposite product: White light active biomolecules as an
Ulviye Bunyatova1, Manel Ben Hammouda2, Jennifer Y Zhang3
1Biomedical Department, Engineering Facility, Baskent UniversityAnkara, Turkey; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC, USA.
Abstract:
Incidence of various cancers including melanoma continues to rise worldwide. While treatment options have expanded in the recent years, the benefit of these treatments suffer from short period of duration for many patients. Hence, new treatment options are highly desired. Here, we propose a method combining a Dextran/reactive-copolymer/AgNPs nanocomposite and a harmless visible light approach to obtain a plasma substitute carbohydrate-based nanoproduct (D@AgNP) that shows strong antitumor activity. Light-driven polysaccharide-based nanocomposite provided essential conditions for extra small (8-12nm) AgNPs capping with subsequent specific self-assembly into spherical-like cloud nanostructures. Obtained biocompatible D@AgNP are stable over six months at room temperature and demonstrated absorbance peak at 406 nm. New formulated nanoproduct revealed efficient anticancer properties against A375 with IC50 0.0035 mg/mL following 24-h incubation; complete cell death is achieved at 0.001 mg/mL and 0.0005 mg/mL by 24- and 48-h time points, respectively. SEM examination shows that D@AgNP altered the shape of the cell structure and damaged the cell membrane. TEM finding shows that D@AgNP are mostly localized at vesicles such as the endosomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. It is anticipated that the introduced new method serves as the cornerstone for improving the generation of biocompatible hydrophilic carbohydrate-based anticancer drugs.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel carbohydrate-based nanoproduct (D@AgNP) using visible light and silver nanoparticles. This biocompatible D@AgNP shows potent anticancer activity against melanoma cells, offering a promising new therapeutic strategy.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Cancer incidence, including melanoma, is increasing globally.
- Current cancer treatments offer limited duration of benefit for many patients.
- Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a biocompatible, carbohydrate-based nanoproduct with potent antitumor activity.
- To investigate a novel method combining a Dextran/reactive-copolymer/AgNPs nanocomposite with visible light irradiation.
- To characterize the nanoproduct's physical properties and anticancer efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a Dextran/reactive-copolymer/AgNPs nanocomposite (D@AgNP) using visible light.
- Characterization of D@AgNP size, stability, and optical properties (absorbance peak at 406 nm).
- Evaluation of anticancer activity against A375 melanoma cells, including IC50 determination and cell death assessment.
- Microscopic analysis (SEM, TEM) to determine cellular uptake and mechanism of action.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized stable, biocompatible D@AgNP with small silver nanoparticles (8-12 nm) forming spherical nanostructures.
- D@AgNP demonstrated significant anticancer activity against A375 cells, with complete cell death achieved at low concentrations (0.001 mg/mL and 0.0005 mg/mL).
- SEM and TEM revealed D@AgNP induced cell membrane damage and localized within cellular vesicles (endosomes, lysosomes, mitochondria).
Conclusions:
- The developed visible light-driven nanoproduct (D@AgNP) exhibits strong antitumor properties.
- This method provides a foundation for generating novel, biocompatible, hydrophilic carbohydrate-based anticancer agents.
- D@AgNP represents a promising candidate for future melanoma treatment strategies.
