A Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-Based Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery System with Enhanced Anticancer Activity and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Anticancer drug efficacy is limited by non-selective toxicity and poor tumor bioavailability.
• Targeted drug delivery systems are crucial for improving patient survival in cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel nano-drug delivery system, CEC@ZIF-8, for enhanced cervical cancer treatment.
• To assess the in vitro and in vivo performance of CEC@ZIF-8 for targeted drug delivery and tumor destruction.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of CEC@ZIF-8 nanoparticles using zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) as a carrier.
• In vitro assessment of cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and drug release in cervical cancer cells.
• In vivo evaluation of anti-cervical cancer activity in a TC-1 tumor-bearing mouse model.

Main Results:

• CEC@ZIF-8 exhibited favorable biocompatibility, pH-responsive drug release, and enhanced intracellular accumulation in cancer cells.
• Transcriptome analysis revealed cell cycle and apoptosis-related pathways targeted by CEC@ZIF-8.
• In vivo studies showed significant tumor growth inhibition with reduced systemic toxicity compared to traditional treatments.

Conclusions:

• The CEC@ZIF-8 nano-drug delivery system significantly enhances the anti-cervical cancer effect of CEC.
• This system demonstrates potential for clinical applications in targeted tumor management and selective destruction of cancer tissues.