Feasibility of magnetite-poly(n-isopropylacrilamide) smart nanocarriers containing doxorubicin for cancer therapeutic applications

Abstract

The current study introduces a novel smart magnetic nanocarrier based on poly (n-isopropylacrilamide). Initially, magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized via the co-precipitation method and revealed an average size of 72 ± 10 nm. XRD confirmed the magnetite structure, and VSM showed a saturation magnetization of 69.63 emu/g for the synthesized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. The optimized nanoparticle was then encapsulated within poly (n-isopropylacrylamide) at 5, 10, and 15 wt%, using an electro-spraying system. A range of techniques were applied to fully characterize the resultant smart magnetic nanocarriers. The FTIR results confirmed the successful loading of doxorubicin drug. Results revealed a faster drug release at higher temperatures, and at an acidic pH (37 °C and pH = 5.1). According to the release profile, 26.6% of the drug release had occurred in an acidic environment, while about 23.2% was detected at pH = 7.1. The presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles allowed for a more controlled drug release. In vitro studies using MG63 cell line demonstrated non-cytotoxic results for the polymeric nanocarriers, and revealed a reduced cell viability in the presence of doxorubicin, confirming the effectiveness of the nanocarrier. Overall, the results demonstrate the feasibility of the optimized nanocarrier system for cancer therapeutic applications, and highlight its potential for simultaneous chemotherapy and hyperthermia.