The effect of chitosan hydrogel containing gold nanoparticle complex with paclitaxel on colon cancer cell line

Abstract

Colon cancer is a significant global health issue, and its primary treatment, chemotherapy, is limited by toxicity and drug resistance. This has led researchers to explore alternative therapeutic approaches. One such approach is the use of chitosan, a natural biopolymer with anti-cancer properties, and paclitaxel, a potent chemotherapeutic agent with promising activity against many types of cancer. In this study, the effectiveness of a chitosan hydrogel that contains a complex of gold nanoparticles with paclitaxel in treating LS174T colon cancer cell line was investigated. The synthesized chitosan hydrogel was characterized and used to treat the colon cancer cells in cell culture. MTT assay and apoptotic gene expression analysis were conducted to evaluate the complex's effectiveness. The results showed that the chitosan hydrogel-loaded gold nanoparticle-paclitaxel complex exhibited a potent cytotoxic effect against the cancer cells. Moreover, the treatment resulted in a significant increase in pro-apoptotic BAX and BAD expression and a decrease in anti-apoptotic BCL2 expression, indicating a pro-apoptotic effect. These findings suggest that utilizing a chitosan hydrogel that contains a complex of gold nanoparticles with paclitaxel shows promise as a viable treatment option for colon cancer. Further research is needed to determine the potential efficacy and safety of this treatment approach in clinical settings.