Abstract
The fight against cancer is one of the main challenges for medical research. Recently, nanotechnology has made significant progress, providing possibilities for developing innovative nanomaterials to overcome the common limitations of current therapies. In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represent a promising nano-tool able to offer interesting applications for cancer research. Following this path, we combined the silver proprieties with Artemisia arborescens characteristics, producing novel nanoparticles called Artemisia–AgNPs. A “green” synthesis method was performed to produce Artemisia–AgNPs, using Artemisia arborescens extracts. This kind of photosynthesis is an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and fast approach. Moreover, the bioorganic molecules of plant extracts improved the biocompatibility and efficacy of Artemisia–AgNPs. The Artemisia–AgNPs were fully characterized and tested to compare their effects on various cancer cell lines, in particular HeLa and MCF-7. Artemisia–AgNPs treatment showed dose-dependent growth inhibition of cancer cells. Moreover, we evaluated their impact on the cell cycle, observing a G1 arrest mediated by Artemisia–AgNPs treatment. Using a clonogenic assay after treatment, we observed a complete lack of cell colonies, which demonstrated cell reproducibility death. To have a broader overview on gene expression impact, we performed RNA-sequencing, which demonstrated the potential of Artemisia–AgNPs as a suitable candidate tool in cancer research.
Highlights
Nowadays, cancer incidence is rapidly increasing, and it is considered to be the second most common cause of death worldwide [1]
The principal advantage of cancer nanomedicine consists of exploiting nano-sized particles that are able to act at a molecular level, on the road to more personalized medicine
We found a high reduction in cell colonies after Artemisia–AgNPs treatment, demonstrating cell reproduction death
Summary
Cancer incidence is rapidly increasing, and it is considered to be the second most common cause of death worldwide [1]. The main therapeutic treatments currently used are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These treatments can lead to common complications, including severe side effects, incomplete tumor resection, and development of resistance [2,3]. Cancer nanomedicine is emerging as a new research field with the aim of offering potential nano-tools for oncological applications. The final goal of cancer nanomedicine is to provide early detection of tumors, accurate diagnoses, and personalized therapy [4,5]. The principal advantage of cancer nanomedicine consists of exploiting nano-sized particles that are able to act at a molecular level, on the road to more personalized medicine. In the last few years, several nanoparticles have been studied for cancer diagnosis and treatment, such as carbon nanotubes [6], paramagnetic nanoparticles [7], liposomes [8], gold nanoparticles [9], and many others [10]
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