DSPE-PEG-Coated Uniform Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Capsules for NIR-Mediated Synergistic Chemophototherapy of Skin Cancer

Abstract

Uniform monodispersed nitrogen-doped carbon spheres have been emerging as an exciting platform for multipurpose medical applications like photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging and as carriers for aromatic anticancer drugs. However, synthesis of uniform N-doped mesoporous carbon of size less than 100 nm with reasonable photothermal and photodynamic activities is a challenging task. In this connection, the present paper reports synthesis of nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon spheres (NMCSs) from five different copolymers of pyrrole and substituted aniline (-H, o-NH2, m-NH2, p-NH2, and m-NO2) using a soft template approach. It has been found that NMCSs synthesized from poly­(pyrrole-co-m-nitroaniline) show uniform mesoporous particles of size 80 nm, a photothermal conversion efficiency η of 52.7%, and an average 1O2 quantum yield of 20% under exposure of a 980 nm NIR laser. With a high η of 52%, a multifunctional nanodrug has been formulated by loading 5-Fu in NMCS. The overall drug-loaded NMC was encapsulated by thermosensitive DSPE-PEG to improve translocation of the particle in the cell and thermosensitive drug release. A reliable release of anticancer drug 5-Fu (78%) has been achieved in 50 h in lysosomal conditions under 980 nm laser exposure. This NMC-5-Fu-DSPE-PEG nanodrug produces reactive oxygen species and enhances the therapeutic effect in comparison with free drug under an NIR laser as verified in B16F0 melanoma cells.

Synthesis of novel triazoles as anticancer agents targeting pJNK in human breast cancer cells

“…MCF-7 cells were seeded in a 6-well plate at a density of 3 × 10 5 cells per well and treated with different concentrations of 5b (6, 12.5 and 25 μM) for 72 h. Next, cells were fixed with formaldehyde (3.7%) and stained with DAPI and the images were captured using a fluorescent inverted microscope. 41…”

“…38 Nuclear fragmentation by DAPI staining MCF-7 cells were seeded in a 6-well plate at a density of 3 Â 10 5 cells per well and treated with different concentrations of 5b (6, 12.5 and 25 mM) for 72 h. Next, cells were fixed with formaldehyde (3.7%) and stained with DAPI and the images were captured using a fluorescent inverted microscope. 41 Western blotting analysis MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of 5b (6, 12.5 and 25 mM) either for 24 h or 72 h. After the end of the treatment time, the cells were scraped and whole-cell lysates were prepared using cell lysis buffer from 5b-treated cells. Next, the concentration of proteins was estimated using the Bradford method and approximately 50 mg of protein was separated through SDS-PAGE followed by transfer to a nitrocellulose membrane.…”