Document Type : Original Research
Authors
1
Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2
Department of Basic Science, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq
3
Medical Radiation Sciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5
Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6
Department of Medical Imaging Technology, Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: The type of coating material plays an important role in the imaging and treatment properties of cancer nanotheranostics.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high molecular weight chitosan coating on the theranostic properties of the curcumin-loaded magneto-graphene quantum dots (MNPs/GQDs/ChitHMW/Cur) nanocomposite.
Material and Methods: In this in vitro study, MNPs/GQDs/ChitHMW nanocomposite was synthesized by sol-gel method, loaded with anticancer drug curcumin, and characterized using different analytical techniques. Then, the curcumin loading, the drug release at pH 5.5 and 7.4, cytotoxicity, MRI transverse relaxivity, and fluorescence spectrum of the nanocomposite were investigated.
Results: The findings showed a curcumin loading capacity of 98%, burst drug release at pH 5.5 (79.00% after 24 h) and sustained drug release at pH 7.4 (33.14% after 24 h), significant concentration-dependent toxicity against MCF-7 cells for the drug-loaded nanocomposite and the high cytocompatibility of the unloaded nanocomposite, an MRI transverse relaxivity of 215.4 mM−1 S−1, and excellent fluorescence properties.
Conclusion: Using high molecular weight chitosan coating in MNPs/GQDs/ChitHMW/Cur nanocomposite not only enhances the loading and release of curcumin and its toxicity against the breast cancer cells, but also provides sufficient negative contrast enhancement for MRI.
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