Poly(acrylic acid)-b-Poly(vinylamine) Copolymer: Decoration with Silver Nanoparticles, Antibacterial Properties, Quorum Sensing Activity, and Cytotoxicity on Breast Cancer and Fibroblast Cell Lines

Abstract

An elegant integration of primary amine-bearing segments into the acrylic acid-containing blocks and the subsequent addition of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to this double hydrophilic block copolymer endowed the resulting well-defined self-assembled construct with promising antimicrobial and anti-quorum-sensing activity and high cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells. Poly­(N-vinylformamide) (PNVF), precursor of amphoteric poly­(vinyl amine) (PVAm), was chain-extended from pH-responsive poly­(acrylic acid) (PAA) macro-chain-transfer agent synthesized via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization by the interchange of xanthates (RAFT/MADIX). PAA-b-PNVF block copolymers with molecular weights in the range of 12500–21800 Da and dispersities between 1.29 and 1.44 were characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). PAA-b-PVAm copolymer was obtained by hydrolysis of the PNVF block. The decoration of PAA-b-PVAm with monodisperse Ag NPs to yield AgNPs@PAA-b-PVAm proceeded through a simple and green approach by amine-induced reduction of Ag ions in aqueous media. The formation of AgNPs@PAA-b-PVAm was characterized by UV/vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AgNPs@PAA-b-PVAm displayed superior antimicrobial and anti-QS activity. The cell proliferation was tested with an MTT assay on L929 and MCF-7 cell lines. Both the AgNP-decorated and the bare copolymer showed significantly higher cytotoxicity on cancer cells compared to healthy ones.

Unprecedented Approach of Fabrication and Analysis of a Bioactive PDMS/Hydroxyapatite/Graphene Nanocomposite Scaffold with a Vascular Channel to Combat Carcinogenesis

“…19 Ghaffarlou et al investigated the L929 mouse fibroblasts and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) human breast cancer cells for 24, 48, and 72 h. They incubated the cells with poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(vinylamine) (PAA-b-PVAm) copolymer for up to 72 h controlled to investigate the cell death rate, which was less than 47% at 100 μg/mL, and the viability dropped below 50% only after 72 h of incubation at 150 μg/mL, followed by a continuous decline. 20 In this context, increased demands for energy brought on by a higher rate of cellular proliferative activity are one of the main characteristics of cancer cells. Hence, the increased glucose absorption and aberrant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, which controls the conversion of glucose to lactic acid, are strongly correlated with metabolic alterations in rapidly proliferating cancer cells.…”

“…Li et al investigated the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) assay, which exhibited that the absence of autophagy significantly reduced almost 80% of lysed metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma-mammary breast-231 (MDA-MB-231) cells when the tumor cells were cocultured with cluster of differentiation (CD)­3/CD28-activated human leukocyte antigen-A2 (HLA-A2) + thymus (T) lymphocytes under both normoxic or hypoxic conditions, and this decrease was markedly reversed by recovery of autophagy . Ghaffarlou et al investigated the L929 mouse fibroblasts and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) human breast cancer cells for 24, 48, and 72 h. They incubated the cells with poly­(acrylic acid)- b -poly­(vinylamine) (PAA- b -PVAm) copolymer for up to 72 h controlled to investigate the cell death rate, which was less than 47% at 100 μg/mL, and the viability dropped below 50% only after 72 h of incubation at 150 μg/mL, followed by a continuous decline . In this context, increased demands for energy brought on by a higher rate of cellular proliferative activity are one of the main characteristics of cancer cells.…”

Highly Cytocompatible Polylactic Acid Based Electrospun Microfibers Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles Generated onto Chestnut Shell Lignin for Targeted Antibacterial Activity and Antioxidant Action

“…In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are emerging as a viable strategy due to their excellent broad spectrum antimicrobial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species, and the lack of evidence of bacterial resistance, together with their easy preparation and incorporation into biomaterials. , Yet, high reactivity, instability, susceptibility to fast oxidation, and cytotoxicity remain crucial shortcomings for their uptake and clinical application. , On the other hand, it should be noted that at the given relatively low concentrations, these nanoparticles are not cytotoxic while still exhibiting antibacterial activity even against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. , Most protocols used for the synthesis of AgNPs rely on the use of reducing or capping agents. The preparation of AgNPs by the use of plant extracts with marked reducing ability proved to be a simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective procedure. , We have recently reported protocols using lignins from industrial byproducts as reducing agent for the synthesis of AgNPs both in solution or by solvent-free mechanochemical procedures resulting in organic/inorganic hybrid materials combining the antioxidant and the antimicrobial properties of either components. , …”