Abstract 5756: Silver graphene quantum dots as drug delivery platforms for anti-cancer application

Abstract

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) stands as the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States (2019). Various cancer treatments, including Rehabilitation therapy, Immunotherapy, Hormone therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, and Chemotherapy, are available. However, chemotherapy has notable limitations due to its tendency to harm healthy cells, resulting in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, alopecia, diarrhea, anemia, bleeding, and sterility. In response to these challenges, we developed nanoparticle (NP) drug delivery platforms for cancer treatment. These platforms utilize silver graphene quantum dots nanocomposites (AgGQD), known for their ability to enhance drug therapies. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit toxicity towards both normal and cancer cells by impacting mitochondrial function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, cell cycle dysregulation, induction of apoptotic genes like Bax, micronucleus formation, chromosome aberration, and DNA damage. Additionally, AgNPs demonstrate antiangiogenic and antiproliferative properties by inhibiting PI3K phosphorylation of Akt, disrupting the signaling pathway, ultimately halting angiogenesis, depriving cells of oxygen, and causing tumor cell death. To mitigate the toxicity of AgNPs in healthy cells and enhance their performance as drug delivery platforms, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were introduced in this study. Moreover, GQDs may contribute to improving the solubility of drugs with low water solubility. The NPs were synthesized using graphene quantum dots as reducing agents. The study involved identifying the IC50 value, conducting validation tests on AgGQD and AgGQD doped, and comparing their toxicity on cells. Confocal microscopy was employed to identify the intracellular location of the drug. Citation Format: Rafael A. Villanueva, Tori Cole, Nataniel Medina, Dr. Gerardo Morell, Brad Weiner. Silver graphene quantum dots as drug delivery platforms for anti-cancer application [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5756.