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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
Published on: December 1, 2016
ZnO@PDA@Ag nanocomposite-mediated delivery of 9-bromonoscapine, an anticancer agent, for enhanced lung cancer therapy
Tanya Goel1,2, Shubham Sewariya3,2, Manisha Tiwari1
1Dr B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research (ACBR), University of Delhi Delhi-110007 India mtiwari07@gmail.com acbrdu@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
Lung cancer continues to be a global threat to mankind responsible for numerous mortalities across international boundaries, underscoring the pressing need for improved therapeutic alternatives. Recently, multifunctional nanocomposites have been developed as promising platforms for anticancer therapy, offering targeted drug delivery and better intrinsic therapeutic properties owing to enhanced solubility, stability, and targeted release of hydrophobic drugs. In the present work, a biocompatible silver-modified PDA-coated zinc oxide nanocomposite was synthesized and loaded with the hydrophobic anticancer drug '9-bromonoscapine' (9-Br-Nos) to develop a 'ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos' nanocomposite for lung cancer treatment. The characterization of the nanocomposite was done using techniques namely DLS, TEM, zeta potential measurement, FESEM-EDX, TGA, PXRD, and FT-IR, which confirmed the nanocomposite's size, charge, stability, and functional integrity. Moreover, drug loading and release were quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), demonstrating an efficient 69.4% drug loading and sustained release of the 9-Br-Nos drug at physiological pH 7.4 and enhanced release at acidic pH 5.5. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies revealed that ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos exhibited an IC50 of 33.51 ± 4.54 µg mL-1 against H1299 lung cancer cells, while cytotoxicity tests on HEK-293 normal cells and hemocompatibility assays on human erythrocytes confirmed its biocompatibility and non-toxicity to healthy cells. These findings collectively demonstrate that ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos is an effective nanocarrier for hydrophobic drug delivery and shows improved therapeutic promise in the treatment of lung cancer.
Insights
A novel silver-modified zinc oxide nanocomposite, ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos, effectively delivers the anticancer drug 9-bromonoscapine for lung cancer treatment. This biocompatible nanocarrier shows promising targeted delivery and reduced toxicity to healthy cells.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Lung cancer poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating advanced therapeutic strategies.
- Multifunctional nanocomposites offer potential for targeted drug delivery and improved treatment efficacy.
- Hydrophobic anticancer drugs often face challenges with solubility, stability, and targeted release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel silver-modified PDA-coated zinc oxide nanocomposite (ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos).
- To load the hydrophobic anticancer drug 9-bromonoscapine (9-Br-Nos) onto the nanocomposite for lung cancer therapy.
- To evaluate the drug loading, release kinetics, in vitro cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility of the developed nanocomposite.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos nanocomposite.
- Characterization using DLS, TEM, zeta potential, FESEM-EDX, TGA, PXRD, and FT-IR.
- Drug loading and release quantification via HPLC; in vitro cytotoxicity assays against H1299 lung cancer cells and HEK-293 normal cells; hemocompatibility assays.
Main Results:
- Characterization confirmed the nanocomposite's size, charge, stability, and functional integrity.
- Efficient drug loading (69.4%) and sustained release of 9-Br-Nos were observed, with enhanced release at acidic pH.
- ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos demonstrated significant in vitro cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells (IC50 = 33.51 µg mL⁻¹) with good biocompatibility and hemocompatibility.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized ZnO@PDA@Ag@9-Br-Nos nanocomposite is an effective nanocarrier for hydrophobic drug delivery.
- This nanocarrier shows enhanced therapeutic potential for lung cancer treatment due to targeted delivery and reduced toxicity.
- The study highlights the promise of multifunctional nanocomposites in advancing cancer therapy.
