A Novel Green Synthesis Method of Copper Nanoparticles and Their Biological Effects on Cancer and Normal Cells

Copper-based nanoparticles (Cu-based NPs) represent a major focus in nanomedicine due to their unique physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility. In this paper, we present an interdisciplinary study bridging engineering and biomedical sciences by employing a novel synthesis approach to produce highly stable and uniformly dispersed spherical copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), which were subsequently tested for their cytotoxic effects on SKBR3 and MSC human cells. The synthesis of CuNPs was performed in the presence of the complexing agent trisodium citrate (TSC), while starch was used for the chemical reduction step. Characterization of the Cu-based NPs via UV-Vis, FT-IR, Mie theory, DLS and SEM confirmed their nanoscale structure. The obtained CuNPs were subsequently assessed for their biological effects and cytotoxic responses induced in normal and SKBR3 cancer cell lines. The SKBR3 cell line showed a dose-dependent decrease in the cell index and a higher proportion of apoptotic cells compared to normal MSCs, with apoptosis representing the dominant mode of cell death. Although SKBR3 cells appeared to mount an antioxidant response against CuNP oxidative stress, the response was insufficient to counteract the apoptotic progression. In comparison, MSCs showed a greater resilience to CuNP-induced cellular stress. By promoting oxidative stress and disrupting the antioxidant defense system of cancer cells, CuNPs exhibit promising anti-cancer properties.