Platinum nanoparticles-embedded single-walled carbon nanotubes as a new carrier for curcumin delivery and investigating its anticancer effect on cell line 4T1.

Cancer, a prevalent disease across various societies, presents a significant challenge in treatment research. Studies show that combination therapies are one of the methods that can help in the effective treatment of cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are among the main cancer treatments and in this project, for combined chemoradiotherapy treatment, carbon nanotubes were used as improved carriers of chemotherapy in tumors, as well as a substrate for the preparation of radiation sensitizers for local radiation therapy. Following the synthesis of CNT-Platinum-Curcumin nanoparticles (CNT-Pt-CUR), a series of analyses were conducted to verify the successful production of these nanoparticles. Techniques such as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were employed. The characterization data revealed a spherical shape Pt nanoparticle morphology with an 8.5 nm diameter on rod-shape CNT, as observed through TEM. Furthermore, FTIR analysis confirmed the successful loaded of the drug into the nanoparticles, highlighting the potential of this approach in cancer treatment. Then, hemolysis and (3(-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) tests on normal cells were used to assess the biocompatibility of CNT-Pt-CUR nanoparticles. It also explored the anticancer efficacy of these nanoparticles at varying concentrations against cancer cells, both with and without exposure to X-rays. The research confirmed the successful synthesis of these nanoparticles and demonstrated their potential impact on cell viability. Specifically, breast cancer cells exhibited heightened susceptibility to toxicity when exposed to nanoparticles and X-rays. Further analysis revealed that the toxicity of nanoparticles is dose-dependent, and modifying the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT) nanoparticles with CUR significantly reduced blood toxicity. Interestingly, nanoparticle toxicity was significantly amplified in the presence of X-rays, suggesting mechanisms such as DNA damage and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels within cells.

Magnetic ferrite nanoparticles coated with bovine serum albumin and glycine polymers for controlled release of curcumin as a model.

To conquer the low water solubility and bioavailability of curcumin (CUR), to corroborate its functional qualities and to broaden its applicability in the pharmaceutical sector, numerous nanoscale methods have been widely exploited for its administration. Because of its polycystic, biodegradable, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and non-allergenic properties, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glycine (Gly) have been actively investigated as natural biopolymers for decades. Various BSA and Gly-based nanocarriers with unique features for CUR delivery, such as magnetic ferrite nanoparticles, are being developed (MNPs). In this work, magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4)/BSA and nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4)/Gly nanocomposites loaded with CUR (drug model) were manufactured for the first time using a chemical co-precipitation approach to create biocompatible drug nanocarriers. It was found that the synthesized MgFe2O4/BSA and NiFe2O4/Gly nanoparticles have a uniform particle distribution and their size is much less than 100 nm. Saturation magnetization in MgFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 reaches 13.07 and 33.4 emu/g the remarkable peak of magnetization decreases to 10.99 and 32.36 emu/g after the addition of polymers. These analyses also showed the presence of chemical bonds in the structure of the nanocomposite. The curcumin diffusion process in NPs were determined using a mathematical modeling. The yielding of the product for MgFe2O4/BSA and NiFe2O4/Gly in 200 h is about 72 and 63%, respectively. Also, regressed relative diffusivities (D/R2), including effective steric hindrance, were determined as 5.75 × 10-4 and 2.72 × 10-4 h-1 for MgFe2O4/BSA and NiFe2O4/Gly, respectively. It shows that there is a significant steric barrier that significantly deviates from the molecular diffusion of the liquid. As a result, the low effective release of curcumin in the particles is more noticeable. Our study demonstrated the effective relationship between the polymer architecture and the biophysical properties of the resulting nanoparticles and shed light on new approaches for the design of efficient NP-based drug carriers.

Synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with platinum nanoparticles to sense breast cancer cells in 4T1 model to X-ray radiation.

In recent years, various types of radiosensitizers have been developed to address the challenges of cancer radiotherapy. Here, platinum-functionalized oxygenated single-walled carbon nanotubes (O-SWCNTs-Pt) coated with folic acid (FA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) (O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA-FA) were synthesized, characterized, and used as radiosensitizers to improve the therapeutic efficacy of X-rays in a mouse model of breast cancer (4T1) in vitro. The nanosensitizer was characterized by different techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. The evaluation of cell viability with nanocarriers O-SWCNTs-BSA, O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA, Pt-BSA-FA, and O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA-FA is reported at the concentrations of 10, 30, and 90 µg/mL by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in the presence and absence of X-rays at 4 and 8 Gy. The results showed that administration of O-SWCNTs-BSA, O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA, Pt-BSA-FA, and O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA-FA + 8 Gy at a concentration of 90 µg/mL reduced survival by 75.31, 65.32, 67.35, and 60.35%, respectively. O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA-FA has a hydrodynamic size of 88.57 nm and a surface charge of -29 mV, which indicates special stability. Compared with O-SWCNTs-BSA, O-SWCNTs-Pt-BSA, and Pt-BSA-FA, it has very strong cell-killing activity in the 4T1 cell line. It is also noteworthy that SWCNTs can act as a controlled release and delivery system for PtNPs due to their unique properties and easy penetration into biological membranes. As a result, the  new nanosensitizer may play a role in cancer treatment in conjunction with radiotherapy technology. Graphical abstract.