Synthesis of Self-Assembled Nanostructured Cisplatin Using the RESS Process

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cisplatin is a crucial anticancer drug with limited aqueous solubility and storage stability.
• Developing stable, highly soluble cisplatin formulations is essential for improved cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a process for an aqueous dispersion of cisplatin with enhanced solubility and stability.
• To synthesize and characterize a novel "liquid" cisplatin formulation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a customized Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS) process.
• Employed liquid cell in situ transmission electron microscopy (Liquid in situ TEM) and Raman spectroscopy for characterization.
• Conducted cell viability and apoptosis studies on A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Main Results:

• Synthesized a stable, amber-colored, viscous aqueous cisplatin solution ("liquid" cisplatin).
• "Liquid" cisplatin demonstrated a 27-fold increase in water solubility compared to standard cisplatin.
• The formulation remained stable for over two years at ambient conditions and retained cisplatin's chemical identity.
• Showcased a more sustained anticancer effect in A549 cells compared to standard cisplatin.

Conclusions:

• The "liquid" cisplatin formulation significantly enhances aqueous solubility (27X) and maintains bioefficacy for two years.
• The developed process offers a promising avenue for novel, non-invasive cisplatin drug-delivery platforms.
• This advancement could lead to more effective cancer treatment strategies.