Panobinostat-Loaded Albumin Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Panobinostat is a highly active and potent non-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) that demonstrates significant anticancer activity against various cancers, including pancreatic cancer. However, like other HDAC inhibitors, its anticancer efficacy is often limited due to factors such as hydrophobicity, non-specificity to tumor cells, and poor pharmacokinetics. To overcome these limitations, encapsulating panobinostat in nanocarriers can enhance controlled drug release and increase cellular uptake, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was utilized as a nanomaterial due to its nontoxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Initially, various drug-to-polymer ratios were tested to determine the optimal ratio for efficient loading and encapsulation. The BSA nanocarriers were prepared through a self-assembly method, and a drug-to-polymer ratio of 1:2.5 resulted in the highest loading and encapsulation efficiencies of 19.9% and 47.7%, respectively. The hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of the optimized nanoparticles were measured at 224.9 ± 5.0 nm and -28.6 ± 0.8 mV, respectively. Results from various physicochemical tests, including FTIR, XRD, DSC, and CD, confirmed the stability of the panobinostat-loaded nanocarriers. In vitro cytotoxicity studies indicated that nanoencapsulation significantly enhanced the anticancer efficacy of panobinostat compared to its free form.