Surface modification of doxorubicin-loaded niosomes for targeting HER2-positive breast cancer

Information from the abstract

Targeted drug delivery enhances cancer treatment by improving efficacy and reducing side effects. Niosomes can encapsulate hydrophilic drugs efficiently within their aqueous core for improved stability and controlled release, while their lipid bilayer enhances the solubility and sustained delivery of hydrophobic drugs. However, their limited specificity can result in off-target effects. Carbon dots (CDs) offer tunable surface modifications for precise targeting, strong fluorescence and biocompatibility. This study aimed to modify the niosome surface through electrostatic condensation of trastuzumab-conjugated nitrogen-doped CDs (TCDs) onto negatively charged, doxorubicin-loaded niosomes (DNio) for targeting HER2-positive BT-474 breast cancer cells. Therefore, the ratios of DNio-TCD complexes were varied, and the changes in size and zeta potential were analyzed by dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, the biological effects, including cytotoxicity assays of the DNio-TCD complex, were assessed in BT-474 cells. The optimized complexes were achieved at a 1:24 ratio (DNio:TCD), which exhibited a size of 458 ± 16.64 nm, a positive charge of 32.18 ± 0.34 mV, and a polydispersity index of 0.30 ± 0.06. The results showed that the DNio-TCD complex enhanced cytotoxicity by approximately 2-fold, compared to DNio alone. Overall, these findings indicate that the DNio-TCD complex could offer promising applications in targeted drug delivery for HER2-positive breast cancer cells.

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