Cytotoxicity against human cancer cells and lymphocytes based on cerium oxide nanostructures

Abstract

Nanomedicine has emerged as a promising avenue for targeted cancer therapy, aiming to develop innovative approaches with improved efficacy and reduced side effects. CeO2 Nanostructures (CeO2 NSs) have attracted considerable attention in biomedical research due to their unique physicochemical properties and potential applications in cancer therapy. In the present article, we studied various methods of synthesis of biocompatible cerium oxide nanoparticles through phyto synthesis (CeO2-P) using Heritiera fomes plant extract and the chemical reducing method (CeO2-C). As obtained, CeO2-P and CeO2-C were characterized using XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR(Fourier Transformation Infrared spectroscopy), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Further, cytotoxic activity was studied on human cancer cell lines – MDA-MB-231-human breast cancer cell line; HeLa -human cervical cancer cell line; HCT-116- human colon cancer cell line, and human blood mononuclear cells (lymphocytes). A comparative study evaluating the induction of apoptosis by CeO2-P and CeO2-C was performed using propidium iodide staining on the mentioned human cancer cell lines. Toxicity assessment results showed the better performance of CeO2-P nanoparticles against HCT-116 at an IC50 concentration of 6.37 μg/mL compared to CeO2-C nanoparticles (HCT-116 - 8.08μg/mL). Similarly, the CeO2 nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxicity against Hela and MDA-MB-231 cells after 24 h treatments. Interestingly, CeO2-P nanoparticles are less toxic to human blood lymphocytes than CeO2-C nanoparticles. Furthermore, propidium iodide staining revealed the signs of apoptosis in all three human cancer cell lines treated with CeO2-P compared to CeO2-C nanoparticles. In conclusion, these findings provide valuable insights into the potential use of CeO2 nanostructures as a promising therapeutic agent in cancer treatment while exhibiting minimal toxicity towards lymphocytes. Further investigations are warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and optimize the therapeutic efficacy of CeO2 Nanostructures for targeted cancer therapy.