Efficacy of cationic polymer-coated magnesium oxide nanoparticles as anti-cancer candidates
Conventional cancer therapies are frequently limited by systemic toxicity and inadequate selectivity, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising platform for achieving targeted and drug-free cancer treatments. In this study, we report a d...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250656 |
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| Summary: | Conventional cancer therapies are frequently limited by systemic toxicity and inadequate selectivity, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising platform for achieving targeted and drug-free cancer treatments. In this study, we report a drug-free anti-cancer strategy based on cationic polymer-coated magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs). The nanocomposites (NCs) were fabricated by grafting cationic 3-acrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (AMPTMA)-based polymers onto 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized MgO NPs, thereby integrating the cytotoxic properties of MgO, potentially mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Mg²+ ion release, with the membrane-targeting capacity of cationic polymers. Cytotoxicity assessments indicated that commercial MgO NPs exhibited minimal anti-cancer activity. While both poly-AMPTMA (PAMPTMA) homopolymer and its copolymer (PAMPTMA-r-BuMA) demonstrated potent cytotoxicity, they lacked selectivity, affecting both cancerous and normal cells. In contrast, the polymer-modified MgO NCs markedly enhanced cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (A-549 half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50): 202 and 64 µg ml−1; Colon-26 IC50: 338 and 115 µg ml−1) while reducing toxicity towards normal cells (human dermal fibroblast (HDF) IC50: 180 and 226 µg ml−1). Notably, the MgO-APTES-PAMPTMA-r-BuMA nanocomposite exhibited superior selectivity and efficacy, presumably through enhanced membrane disruption and ROS production. These findings underscore the potential of polymer-functionalized MgO NCs as a promising drug-free anti-cancer platform and contribute to the advancement of nanomedicine-based therapeutics. |
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| ISSN: | 2054-5703 |