Silver Nanoparticles Decorated UiO-66-NH₂ Metal-Organic Framework for Combination Therapy in Cancer Treatment

Background: Nanomedicine has shown significant promise in advancing cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. In particular, nanoparticles (NPs) offer potential for overcoming limitations associated with conventional therapies, such as off-target toxicity and side effects. Among the various NPs, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have garnered attention due to their cytotoxic and genotoxic properties in cancer cells. However, despite their potential, the optimization of AgNPs efficacy often necessitates combination strategies with other therapeutic agents. This study explores the potential of AgNPs integrated with Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66 for drug delivery, to enhance cancer therapy. Methods: We decorated amino-terephthalic based UiO-66-NH₂ with AgNPs and loaded it with the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (Cis-Pt) to make the UiO-66-NH₂@AgNPs@Cis-Pt. A preliminary MTT assay was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of the nanocomposite on several glioblastoma and other tumour cell lines, including U251, U87, GL261, HeLa, RKO, and HepG2. Results: Our results demonstrate that UiO-66-NH₂@AgNPs@Cis-Pt and its combinations exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity compared to individual components such as AgNPs and Cis-Pt. Conclusions: This work offers preliminary insights into the potential of AgNP-functionalized MOFs as effective drug and delivery platforms, particularly in the context of combination therapy for cancer treatment.