Synthesis and in vitro assessment of anticancer hydrogels composed by carboxymethylcellulose-doxorubicin as potential transdermal delivery systems for treatment of skin cancer

Publication date: 15 September 2018Source: Journal of Molecular Liquids, Volume 266Author(s): Sandhra M. Carvalho, Alexandra A.P. Mansur, Nádia S.V. Capanema, Isadora C. Carvalho, Poliane Chagas, Luiz Carlos A. de Oliveira, Herman S. MansurAbstractMalignant melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer in humans which is difficult to treat by conventional surgery and chemotherapeutics. Despite unquestionable progresses in recent years demonstrated by anticancer drug carriers to target tumor local microenvironment, it is growing at a rate of one million new cases being reported annually because overcoming the skin physiological barriers and the side effects associated with chemotherapy still remain threatening challenges. Herein, we designed and developed a novel polysaccharide-based prodrug composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) polymer with anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) forming electrostatic nanocomplexes in aqueous solution. The results evidenced the effect of degree of substitution (DS = 0.77 and 1.22) of CMC on the physicochemical properties of the CMC-DOX complexes associated with the formation of supramolecular colloidal nanostructures. They were stabilized by electrostatic interactions between anionic carboxylate groups from CMC and cationic amino groups of DOX while the polysaccharide polymer chain encapsulated the hydrophobic drug in the aqueous medium. Moreover, these polymer-drug nanoparticulate systems were crosslinked with citric acid for producing a...
Source: Journal of Molecular Liquids - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research