Systems based on carbon nanotubes with potential in cancer therapy

Publication date: 1 February 2020Source: Materials Chemistry and Physics, Volume 241Author(s): Nicoleta Badea, Mariela Madalina Craciun, Andreea Sofia Dragomir, Mihaela Balas, Anca Dinischiotu, Claudiu Nistor, Camelia Gavan, Daniela IonitaAbstractThe paper is concerned with obtaining nanosystems based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), pemetrexed (Pm) and quercetin (Q) with antitumor action. MWCNT were contacted with ethanolic solutions of Pm/Q/Pm-Q, centrifuged and then filtered. The obtained nanosystems were structurally characterizedcaracterized by FTIR analysis. The physical stability of the nanosystem was assessed by determining the electro-kinetic potential (ζ), and the mean nanoparticle dimensions were analyzed by the dynamic light scattering method (DLS). The release studies of Pm and Q from nanosystems at two different pHs (5.5 and 7.5) showed the existence of a Fickian diffusion mechanism in the release of the two compounds.To assess the anti-tumoral activity of the three nanosystems (MWCNT-Pm, MWCNT-Q and MWCNT-Pm-Q), different doses between 3.125 and 50 μg/mL MWCNTs, 2.5–40 μg/mL Pm and respectively 0.25–4 μg/mL Q were tested on two human tumor cell lines: MDA-MB-231 (breast cells) and PANC-1 (pancreatic cells).The anti-tumoral potential of MWCNT-Pm-Q nanosystem was demonstrated in pancreatic cells by significant alterations of cell morphology and a decrease of cell viability under 60% at a dose of 25 μg/mL MWCNTs – 20 μg/mL Pm - 2 μ...
Source: Materials Chemistry and Physics - Category: Materials Science Source Type: research