Abstract
The development of multifunctional drug delivery systems combining two or more nanoparticle-mediated therapies for efficient cancer treatment is highly desired. To face this challenge, a photothermally active polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticle-based platform was designed for the loading of chemotherapeutic drug and targeting of cancer cells. PDA spheres were first functionalized with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers followed by the conjugation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties and folic acid (FA) targeting ligand. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was then absorbed on the particle surface. We performed the physico-chemical characterization of this versatile material and we assessed further its possible application in chemo- and photothermal therapy using liver cancer cell model. These nanoparticles exhibited high near-infrared photothermal conversion efficacy and allowed for loading of the drug, which upon release in specifically targeted cancer cells suppressed their growth. Using cell proliferation, membrane damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress assays we demonstrated high performance of this nanosystem in cancer cell death induction, providing a novel promising approach for cancer therapy.
Highlights
Cancer has become one of the world’s most devastating diseases, with an estimated18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2018 [1]
We investigated the possible application of PDA@DG3@polyethylene glycol (PEG)@folic acid (FA)@DOX NPs in combined chemo- and photothermal therapy (CTPTT)
Dopamine hydrochloride was purchased from Alfa Aesar (Gdansk, Poland)
Summary
Cancer has become one of the world’s most devastating diseases, with an estimated18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2018 [1]. Cancer treatment has been limited to only a few strategies, such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These therapeutic approaches are associated with some drawbacks including the high possibility of recurrence, limited therapeutic efficacy, and undesirable side effects. Development of novel anticancer agents is necessary to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of cancer treatments. The arrival of nanoparticle (NPs) technology to the field has enabled the development of a wide range of novel therapeutic and diagnostic platforms for cancer treatment including drug/gene delivery, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, magnetic therapy, radiotherapy and imaging [3]. The incorporation of NPs into drug formulation systems can positively affect pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and targeting. The literature on nanoparticle-based drug carriers revealed that only
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have