The creation of selenium nanoparticles decorated with troxerutin and their ability to adapt to the tumour microenvironment have therapeutic implications for triple-negative breast cancer

• Published in: New journal of chemistry 2023-02, Vol.47 (9), p.4565-4576
• Main Authors: Saranya, Thiruvenkataswamy, Kavithaa, Krishnamoorthy, Paulpandi, Manickam, Ramya, Sennimalai, Winster, Sureshbabu Harysh, Mani, Geetha, Dhayalan, Sangeetha, Balachandar, Vellingiri, Narayanasamy, Arul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Apoptosis; Biocompatibility; Breast cancer; Effectiveness; Flavanols; Genes; In vivo methods and tests; Nanoparticles; Proteins; Selenium; Toxicity; Tumors
• ISSN: 1144-0546; 1369-9261
• DOI: 10.1039/d2nj05671b

Despite advancements in treatment, managing aggressive types of breast cancer, particularly Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), remains a daunting task. Newer chemotherapeutics enhance the multidrug resistance in cancer cells, making them untreatable. The current research work was framed to develop a novel therapeutic target by utilizing the flavanol, troxerutin (TXN) as a drug of interest to target TNBC. And also, to increase the efficiency of the drug at the target site, a nanocarrier called selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) has been exploited. Thus, the anticancer efficacy of TXN and Se-TXN against TNBC ( in vitro and in vivo ) has been compared and analysed in the present study. Se-TXN was synthesized by a precipitation approach and characterized by diverse analytical techniques, which confirmed the successful loading of TXN on the SeNPs. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Se-TXN was determined to be 6.5 ± 0.5 μg mL −1 according to the in vitro data. Even at lower concentrations, the existence of apoptotic bodies shows that Se-TXN is effective against TNBC. Additionally, the Se-TXN expression study shows that the activation of the caspase cascade pathway, which results in apoptosis, occurs from the downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins and genes and the upregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins and genes. And the in vivo investigations like histopathology, hematology and biochemical parameters revealed that the Se-TXN had significantly lowered the tumour volume of treated Balb/C mice without having any significant systemic toxicity when compared to other treatment groups. Altogether, our data suggests the efficacy of Se-TXN nanoconjugates as an effective management therapy for treating TNBC. The unique use of selenium-troxerutin nanoconjugates as an effective management therapy for treating TNBC.