A nanocarrier system based on CQDs for efficient mitoxantrone drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality in women.
• Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) show promise as targeted drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.
• Improving the therapeutic efficiency of existing chemotherapeutics is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel nanocarrier based on N-doped CQDs for enhanced delivery of mitoxantrone (MTX).
• To evaluate the drug loading, release kinetics, and in vitro efficacy of the CQD-MTX complex.
• To assess the potential of CQDs to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of MTX.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of N-doped CQDs via a hydrothermal method.
• Loading of MTX onto purified N-doped CQDs.
• Characterization of CQD-MTX complex size and drug entrapment efficiency.
• In vitro drug release studies at different pH values.
• Cytotoxicity evaluation using MTT assay on MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Main Results:

• N-doped CQDs successfully loaded with MTX, increasing particle size to 157.8 nm with 97% entrapment efficiency.
• pH-dependent drug release observed, with higher release at acidic pH (11% at pH 5.2 vs. 8% at pH 7.4 after 48h).
• The N-doped CQD-MTX complex demonstrated comparable efficacy to free MTX on MCF-7 cells, with an IC50 between 0.5-0.8 μM, while CQDs alone showed no toxicity.

Conclusions:

• The developed N-doped CQD-MTX complex serves as an effective nanocarrier for mitoxantrone delivery.
• This nanocarrier improves drug pharmacokinetics through controlled release and targeted delivery.
• The CQD-based system offers a promising strategy for enhancing breast cancer therapy.