Back to Search Start Over

Development and Mechanistic Insight into the Enhanced Cytotoxic Potential of Parvifloron D Albumin Nanoparticles in EGFR-Overexpressing Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Authors :
Ana Santos-Rebelo
Pradeep Kumar
Viness Pillay
Yahya E. Choonara
Carla Eleutério
Mariana Figueira
Ana S. Viana
Lia Ascensão
Jesús Molpeceres
Patrícia Rijo
Isabel Correia
Joana Amaral
Susana Solá
Cecília M. P. Rodrigues
Maria Manuela Gaspar
Catarina Pinto Reis
Source :
Cancers, Vol 11, Iss 11, p 1733 (2019)
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2019.

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers, with an extremely poor prognosis. The development of more effective therapies is thus imperative. Natural origin compounds isolated from Plectranthus genus, such as parvifloron D (PvD), have cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity against human tumour cells. However, PvD is a very low water-soluble compound, being nanotechnology a promising alternative strategy to solve this problem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to optimize a nanosystem for preferential delivery of PvD to pancreatic tumour cells. Albumin nanoparticles (BSA NPs) were produced through a desolvation method. Glucose cross-linking and bioactive functionalization profiles of BSA platform were elucidated and analysed using static lattice atomistic simulations in vacuum. Using the optimized methodology, PvD was encapsulated (yield higher than 80%) while NPs were characterized in terms of size (100−400 nm) and morphology. Importantly, to achieve a preferential targeting to pancreatic cancer cells, erlotinib and cetuximab were attached to the PvD-loaded nanoparticle surface, and their antiproliferative effects were evaluated in BxPC3 and Panc-1 cell lines. Erlotinib conjugated NPs presented the highest antiproliferative effect toward pancreatic tumour cells. Accordingly, cell cycle analysis of the BxPC3 cell line showed marked accumulation of tumour cells in G1-phase and cell cycle arrest promoted by NPs. As a result, erlotinib conjugated PvD-loaded BSA NPs must be considered a suitable and promising carrier to deliver PvD at the tumour site, improving the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20726694
Volume :
11
Issue :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Cancers
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.08c124e2e8a494ea675689d35b16acb
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers11111733