Integration of a Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug with Luminescent Copper for in Vivo Cancer Therapy in a Mouse Model.

Abstract

A facile, process of fabrication of a luminescent bovine serum albumin-copper nanocluster (BSA-CuNC) customized ibuprofen nanodrug (BSA-CuNC-Ibf), encapsulating the ibuprofen was developed. Ibuprofen, which is commonly used to treat inflammation, was utilized here as a model drug. The formation of BSA-CuNC initiated by encapsulation of the Cu ions within the protein moiety followed by gradual reduction of the Cu ions by certain amino acid residues like tyrosine and tryptophan at alkaline pH resulted in the formation of BSA-CuNC within the protein template. Heat treatment and lowering the pH fitted the ibuprofen in the center by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, and resulted in the formation of nanoparticles. The nanodrug (BSA-CuNC-Ibf) thus formed was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic and static light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential. The spherical shaped nanodrug has a hydrodynamic diameter of about 100.4 ± 28.9 nm. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be 94% which corresponds to 1880 μg/mL of ibuprofen in the BSA-CuNC-Ibf nanodrug. The as synthesized BSA-CuNC-Ibf exhibited cytotoxicity on both human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and human lung cancer cells (A549). The present nanodrug when explored for its tumor preventive role on Daltons lymphoma ascites (DLA) bearing Swiss albino mice, exemplified sizable inhibition of tumor growth by reactive oxygen species mediated apoptosis and by modulating prostaglandin (PGE2) levels. It also inhibited metastasis of the cancer cells, thus enhancing the life expectancy of the mice.