Fabrication of facile assembly shrinkable double-responsive nanoparticles: Investigation of anticancer activity in lung cancer cells and apoptosis induction

Abstract

Nanoparticle-based delivery techniques have low stability, poor tumour penetration, and uncontrolled drug release. To address these issues, the present study designed HAD (the compound of Halloysite (HS), alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), and doxorubicin (DOX)). This shrinkable nanoparticle responds to changes in pH and enzyme activity in the tumour microenvironment. DOX, an anticancer drug in HAD, is durable in serum-comprising water solutions and readily accumulates in tumours in vitro, despite its small size (100 nm). Because of the abundance of lysozymes in the tumour extracellular matrix, HAD can be reduced from 100 nm to 30 nm (in size), allowing the drug to enter the tumour tissue more easily. In addition, once internalised by tumour cells, the DOX is rapidly released, and the acidic and enzymatic cellular microenvironment quickly kills the cancer cells. An excellent reduction in the A549 cells' dose-dependent viability observed the HAD's cytotoxic potential. The enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulations and reduction of MMP were perceived in the HAD-treated cells. The improved caspase-3, − 9, and − 8 expressions were also seen in the HAD-exposed A549 cells. These findings show that HAD has been promised as a beneficial delivery method for cancer treatment since it can assure a regulated drug release specifically targeted to lung tumour cells.