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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
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TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA nanosystem as an aptamer-targeted drug delivery system potential for triple-negative breast cancer

Gulen Melike Demirbolat1, Aslihan Kucuk2, Omer Erdogan3

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Molecular Oncology
|February 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

This study developed a novel nanosystem (TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA) to deliver TRAIL protein for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment. The targeted therapy effectively induced apoptosis and suppressed tumor growth in preclinical models.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Nanomedicine
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies, necessitating innovative treatment strategies.
  • Targeted delivery of apoptosis-inducing proteins, like TRAIL, is crucial for effective cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a novel nanosystem (TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA) for targeted delivery of TRAIL protein to TNBC cells.
  • To assess the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA system in a TNBC mouse model.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of the TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA nanosystem using FTIR, NTA, and SEM.
  • In vitro release assays and cell interaction studies with TNBC (MDA-MB-231) and healthy breast cells (MCF-10A).
  • In vivo evaluation in a mouse tumor model, including pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, histological staining, and PCR array analysis.

Main Results:

  • TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA demonstrated successful encapsulation and targeted delivery of TRAIL.
  • The nanosystem effectively induced apoptosis in both in vitro and in vivo TNBC models.
  • Treatment suppressed tumor growth by modulating key genes (Atf2, Casp8, Bcl2, Irf5) without inducing resistance.

Conclusions:

  • The aptamer-bound TRAIL nanosystem (TRAIL-PEG-Apt-PLGA) shows significant potential as a biotechnological drug for TNBC treatment.
  • This targeted nanodelivery system offers innovative therapeutic applications for clinical use in triple-negative breast cancer.
Keywords:
PLGA copolymersTRAILaptamersbreast cancertargeted therapy

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