PEGylated Magnetite/Hydroxyapatite: A Green Nanocomposite for T2-Weighted MRI and Curcumin Carrying

Abstract

Background. The design of new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast media with chemotherapy drug-carrying capacity has an important role in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This study aimed to synthesize a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated magnetite/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite as an MRI contrast agent investigate its curcumin loading/release properties and consider the cytotoxicity effect of the curcumin-loaded nanocomposite on different cell lines. Materials and Methods. PEGylated magnetite/hydroxyapatite (PMHA) nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. MTT assay was performed to consider the A549, MCF-7, and MRC-5 cells toxicity of the PMHA and the curcumin-loaded nanocomposite. The r2 relaxivity of the nanocomposite was determined by an MRI device. The curcumin loading and its release from the nanocomposite at pH of 7.4 and 5.5 were investigated. Results. The spherical nanocomposite showed an average size of 20 nm and a superparamagnetic property. PMHA nanocomposite was highly cytocompatible, while the curcumin-loaded nanocomposite showed significant cytotoxicity for A549 and a much higher toxic effect on MCF-7 cancer cells. The r2 relaxivity was measured as 120 mM−1S−1. The curcumin loading capacity of PMHA was 1.9 mg/g, and the curcumin release profile showed a pH-dependent sustained release of the anti-cancer drug that was higher for pH of 5.5. Conclusion. The high r2 relaxivity of PMHA nanocomposite and sustained release of curcumin from the loaded one at the pH of tumor environment suggest that the nanocomposite is a potential candidate for T2-weighted MRI and cancer treatment.

Bioactive Magnetic Materials in Bone Tissue Engineering: A Review of Recent Findings in CaP‐Based Particles and 3D‐Printed Scaffolds

“…Due to the above-mentioned risks, and since some studies have shown that bare MNP are more toxic compared to coated NP due to the existence of more available oxidative sites that promote ROS production, [158,162,165,167] surface coatings of shells have been suggested in the development of MNP for bone TE applications, aiming at biocompatibility and nontoxicity. [58,[170][171][172] Coatings such as natural polysaccharides, [173][174][175][176][177] polymer materials, [178][179][180][181][182][183][184] noble metals, [185][186][187][188][189][190] or inorganic materials such as bioceramics [57,58,171,[191][192][193][194][195][196] are widely reported and suggested. Therefore, due to the vast diversity of factors that must be taken into consideration when assessing the toxicity of MNP, it is challenging to assign a clear/definite toxicity profile that can be followed when choosing the proper MNP for the intended applications.…”

“…[52,57,60,63,139,155,202,[205][206][207][208][209][210][211] By combining the biocompatible and bioactive properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) with the magnetic properties of pure magnetite, it is possible to obtain Fe 3 O 4 /HA core-shell NP of increased therapeutic value and with a greater application potential as a suitable platform for the construction of multifunctional and bimodal magnetic-theranostic carriers, for clinical oncology and novel MRI contrast agents. [57,58,174,177,179,212,213] However, it should be kept in mind that the formed shell may have a thickness greater than the core size, which may result in the decrease of the saturation magnetization of the magnetic material. [58] Since it is difficult to control the thickness of the HA layer, the current challenge in this research field involves the optimization of different HA synthesis routes to obtain a stable and thin shell surrounding the magnetite core.…”

Hydroxyapatite Biobased Materials for Treatment and Diagnosis of Cancer

“…The reported drug loading capacity was 1.9 mg/g and the r2 relaxivity was measured as 120 mM −1 S −1 . Antitumoral activity of the system was proven on A549 human alveolar adenocarcinoma cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells [ 155 ].…”