DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀-methotrexate nanoparticles encapsulating phenobarbital sodium kill cancer cells by inducing pyroptosis

Cancer is a life-threatening disease worldwide. Nanomedicine and nanodelivery systems are recently developed scientific field that employs specific materials in the nanoscale range to deliver drugs. Lipid-based nanoparticles are an ideal delivery system since they exhibit many advantages, including high bioavailability, self-assembly, formulation simplicity, and the ability to exhibit a plethora of physicochemical properties. Herein, we report that phenobarbital sodium can kill cancer cells by using the DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀-methotrexate nanoparticle delivery system, which can target folate receptors that are usually overexpressed on a variety of cancer cells. The released phenobarbital then executes cancer cells by inducing pyroptosis. Results from our animal model further indicate that the nanomedicine of nanoparticle-encapsulated phenobarbital sodium is a promising anticancer therapy.