Dextran-Curcumin Nanoparticles as a Methotrexate Delivery Vehicle: A Step Forward in Breast Cancer Combination Therapy

• Main Authors: Manuela Curcio, Giuseppe Cirillo, Paola Tucci, Annafranca Farfalla, Emilia Bevacqua, Orazio Vittorio, Francesca Iemma, Fiore Pasquale Nicoletta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
• Series: Pharmaceuticals
• Subjects: polyphenol conjugate; self-assembling nanoparticles; curcumin; breast cancer; synergism
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/13/1/2
• ISSN: 1424-8247

With the aim to effectively deliver methotrexate (MTX) to breast cancer cells, we designed a nanocarrier system (DC) derived from the self-assembly of a dextran-curcumin conjugate prepared via enzyme chemistry with immobilized laccase acting as a solid biocatalyst. Nanoparticles consisted of homogeneously dispersed nanospheres with a mean diameter of 290 nm, as characterized by combined transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering investigations. DC was able to control the MTX release overtime (t_1/2 value of 310 min), with cell internalization studies proving its presence inside MCF-7 cytoplasm. Finally, improved MTX efficacy was obtained in viability assays, and attributed to the synergy of curcumin moieties and loaded MTX as underlined by a combination index (CI) < 1.