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In this project, a biocompatible block copolymer including poly ethylene glycol and poly caprolactone was synthesized using ring-opening reaction. Then, the copolymer was conjugated to folic acid using lysine as a linker. Also, curcumin (CUR) was used as a therapeutic anticancer agent. Nanoprecipitation method was used to prepare CUR-loaded polymeric micelles. Different methods including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to characterize the prepared nanocarriers (NCs). MTT assay and hemolysis assay were used to evaluate

Artemisinin (ART) has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-amyloid, and anti-malarial effects, but its application is limited due to its low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. In this study, the bioavailability, water solubility, and anti-plasmodial property of ART were improved by PCL-PEG-PCL tri-block copolymers.The structure of the copolymers was characterized byThe results showed that the zeta potential of ART-loaded micelles was about -8.37 mV and the average size was 91.87 nm. ART was encapsulated into PCL-PEG-PCL micelles with a loading capacity of 19.33 ± 0.015% and encapsulation efficacy of 87.21 ± 3.32%. In vivo anti-plasmodial results against P. berghei showed that multiple injections of ART-loaded micelles could prolong the circulation time and increase the therapeutic efficacy of ART.These results suggested that PCL-PEG-PCL micelles would be a potential carrier for ART for the treatment of malaria.

This study is a report about the synthesis iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IONPs) which modified with positive and negative charged amino acids (AAs). l-Arginine (Arg) and l-aspartic acid (Asp) which have of guanidinium and carboxylic acid groups, respectively, were selected for this study. After loading chrysin in amino acids modified iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (F@AAs@Chrysin NPs), it was characterized by XRD, TGA, FTIR, VSM, and TEM techniques. Finally, MTT assays on HFF-2 and HEK-293 cell lines were performed for determination of biocompatibility of AA coated IONPs. The results show that, the ζ-potential and average size of F@Arg@chrysin NPs and F@Asp@chrysin NPs were to -3.87, -2.12 mV, 18.75 ± 2.40 (mean ± SD (

Statins are widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. However, their inhibitory action on HMG-CoA reductase also results in the depletion of intermediate biosynthetic products, which importantly contribute to cell proliferation. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of the individual commercially available statins on investigational breast cancer. Thus, in this study, biodegradable polymeric micelles as carrier of statins were prepared using biodegradable copolymers (PCL-PEG-PCL). These nanoparticles were prepared with two statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) and drug loading, release, kinetic release, and anti-cancer activity of these drugs were studied. The triblock copolymer PCL-PEG-PCL was synthesized by a ring opening polymerization of e-caprolactone in the presence of PEG as the initiator and Sn(oct)2 as the catalyst. The synthesized copolymers and nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, HNMR, GPC, DLS, and AFM analyses. The drug loading and release of drugs were studied by UV-Vis. Additionally, MTT assays on HFF-2 cell lines were performed for determination of biocompatibility of micelles. Finally, the anticancer activity of micelles was studied on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. The results showed that the average diameter of nanoparticles was less than 45 nm. The loading capacity of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin was 20.0 ± 1.01% and 13.21 ± 1.18%, respectively, and encapsulation efficiency of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin was 88.19 ± 1.11% and 69.32 ± 0.23%, respectively. The results showed strong and dose-dependent inhibition of cell (MCF-7line) growth by the nanoparticles compared with statins. The result of cell viability assay on the MCF-7 cell line verified that the bare nanoparticles showed little inherent cytotoxicity whereas the statins-loaded nanoparticles were cytotoxic.

In this study, we designed a polymersome system for the controlled release of methotrexate (MTX) as an anticancer drug with the objective of improving the loading efficiency of the drug in polymersomes as well as achievement of an efficient control on the release rate of drug from nanocarriers. We synthesized mono methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(e-caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL) diblock copolymers. The structure of the copolymers was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (

Among the potent anticancer agents, d,l-sulforaphane (SF) is very effective against many different types of cancer cells. Its clinical application is restricted because of its hydrophobicity, low gastrointestinal absorption and poor bioavailability. In the present study, a reliable micellar delivery system using monomethoxypoly (ethylene glycol)-poly (ɛ-caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL) was established. The encapsulation of SF inside mPEG-PCL as a nano-carrier was established and the cytotoxicity assay against human breast cancer cell line was evaluated.In this study, SF was encapsulated within mPEG-PCL micelles through a single-step nano-precipitation method, leading to creation of SF-loaded mPEG-PCL (SF/mPEG-PCL) micelles. Di-block mPEG-PCL copolymers were synthesized and used to prepare micelles. MPEG-PCL copolymer was characterized by HNMR, FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry and gel permeation chromatography techniques. Characterization, stability of micelles, the particle size and morphology were determined. The release profile of the SF from the micelles which prepared by the drug-loaded copolymer, was evaluated. The cytotoxicity of free SF, mPEG-PCL and SF-loaded mPEG-PCL micelles was compared with each other by performing MTT assay of the treated MCF-7 cell line. Expression levels of BCL-2, MMP-9, BCL-XL, BAK, BAX and GAPDH (endogenous gene) as control were quantified by real time PCR. To evaluate the apoptotic effects of Free SF compared with SF-loaded mPEG-PCL micelles, flow cytometry analysis was done using the annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit.Our studies resulted in a successful establishment of uniformity and spherical SF-loaded mPEG-PCL micelles. The encapsulation efficiency of SF was 86 ± 1.58%. The results of atomic force microscopy revealed that the micelles have spherical shapes with size of 107 nm. In vitro release of SF from SF-entrapped micelles was remarkably sustained. The mPEG-PCL micelle showed little cytotoxicity in the case of MCF-7 cell line with concentration up to 1.5 mg/ml, whereas the SF-loaded mPEG-PCL micelles at all concentrations significantly was cytotoxic in the case of MCF-7 cell line. Finally, real-time PCR and flow cytometry were used to demonstrate that the SF-loaded mPEG-PCL could be efficiently inducing apoptosis in MCF-7 cell line.We achieved to a successful formulation of SF-loaded m-PEG/PCL micelles in this study. Based on the cytotoxicity results of mPEG-PCL micelles against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) in this study, it suggested that SF/mPEG-PCL micelles can be an effective breast cancer treatment strategy in the future.