Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026
08:19
Solid Lipid Nanoparticles SLNs for Intracellular Targeting Applications
Published on: November 17, 2015
18.5K
Cell membrane-camouflaged double emulsion-based SNEDDS for targeted melanoma therapy using Inula viscosa.
Lucia Vizzoni1, Francesca Caricchio2, Luca Cerri3
1Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|October 21, 2025
Summary
This study developed melanoma cell membrane-coated nanoemulsions loaded with Inula viscosa extract for metastatic melanoma treatment. The novel formulation enhances drug delivery, exhibits selective cancer cell targeting, and reduces toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Metastatic melanoma presents limited therapeutic options.
- Inula viscosa extract (IVE-G) shows anticancer potential but suffers from poor solubility and rapid clearance.
- Developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial for melanoma treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop double emulsions-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) loaded with Inula viscosa extract (IVE-G).
- To enhance solubility, stability, and tumor-specific targeting of IVE-G using melanoma cell membrane coating.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of the developed system against metastatic melanoma.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of double emulsions-based SNEDDS with a Capmul:Tween 80 ratio of 1:3, loaded with IVE-G.
- Coating of SNEDDS with SK-MEL28 metastatic melanoma cell membranes for biomimetic camouflage.
- Characterization of particle size, polydispersity index (PdI), and zeta potential.
- Assessment of cytotoxicity using the WST-1 assay on melanoma cells and non-cancerous cell lines.
Main Results:
- The optimized SNEDDS formulation exhibited a mean droplet size of ~37 nm and PdI < 0.30, indicating high homogeneity and stability.
- Melanoma cell membrane coating increased particle size to ~48 nm and shifted zeta potential to -2.19 mV, confirming successful biomimetic camouflage.
- SNEDDS-encapsulated IVE-G showed significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against cancer cells (IC50 17.00 μg/mL) compared to free IVE-G (IC50 218.00 μg/mL).
- The membrane-coated formulation (SNEDDS-IVE-G-M) demonstrated selective cytotoxicity towards SK-MEL28 melanoma cells (IC50 7.00 μg/mL) with minimal effects on normal cells.
Conclusions:
- Melanoma cell membrane-coated SNEDDS loaded with Inula viscosa extract represent a promising dual strategy for metastatic melanoma therapy.
- The developed system improves drug delivery, enhances solubility, and provides tumor-specific targeting.
- This approach offers potential for reduced off-target toxicity and improved therapeutic efficacy in metastatic melanoma treatment.
