Decapeptide functionalized targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles with doxorubicin exhibit enhanced apoptotic effect in breast and prostate cancer cells

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine 2018-01, Vol.13, p.7669-7680
• Main Authors: Tambe, Prajakta, Kumar, Pramod, Paknikar, Kishore M, Gajbhiye, Virendra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Anthracyclines; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Breast and prostate cancer; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Bromine compounds; Cancer cells; Cell culture; Cell death; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytotoxicity; Decapeptide; Doxorubicin - chemistry; Doxorubicin - pharmacology; Drug delivery systems; Drug dosages; Drug Liberation; Electron microscopy; Endocytosis; Exhibitions; Female; Glycols (Class of compounds); GnRH receptors; Hormones; Humans; Ligands; Male; Mesoporous silica nanoparticles; Microscopy; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Oligopeptides - chemistry; Original Research; Peptides; Pituitary hormones; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylene Glycols - pharmacology; Polyols; Porosity; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Raman spectroscopy; Receptor-mediated endocytosis; Silicon dioxide; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Spectroscopy; Studies; Therapeutics
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S184634

Considering the increase in cancer cases and number of deaths per year worldwide, development of potential therapeutics is imperative. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are among the potential nanocarriers having unique properties for drug delivery. Doxorubicin (DOX), being the most commonly used drug, can be efficiently delivered to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-overexpressing cancer cells using functionalized MSNPs. We report the development of decapeptide-conjugated MSNPs loaded with DOX for the targeted drug delivery in breast and prostate cancer cells. MSNPs were synthesized and subsequently functionalized with an analog of GnRH by using a heterobifunctional polyethylene glycol as a linker. These targeted MSNPs were then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. An anticancer drug DOX was loaded and then characterized for drug loading. DOX-loaded nanocarriers were then studied for their cellular uptake using confocal microscopy. The cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded targeted MSNPs and DOX-loaded bare MSNPs was studied by performing MTT assay on MCF-7 (breast cancer) and LNCaP (prostate cancer) cells. Further, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, as well as flow cytometry, was performed to confirm the apoptotic mode of cancer cell death. MSNPs were conjugated with polyethylene glycol as well as an agonist of GnRH and subsequently loaded with DOX. These targeted and bare MSNPs showed excellent porous structure and loading of DOX. Further, higher uptake of DOX-loaded targeted MSNPs was observed as compared to DOX-loaded bare MSNPs in GnRH-overexpressing breast (MCF-7) and prostate (LNCaP) cancer cells. The targeted MSNPs also showed significantly higher (