Predictions of Drug-Protein Interactions and Study of Magnetically Assisted Release Dynamics of 5-Fluorouracil from Soya Protein-Coated Iron Oxide Core-Shell Nanoparticles

Iron oxide nanoparticle-based nanocomposites in biomedical application

Iron-oxide-based biomagnetic nanocomposites, recognized for their significant properties, have been utilized in MRI and cancer treatment for several decades. The expansion of clinical applications is limited by the occurrence of adverse effects. These limitations are largely attributed to suboptimal material design, resulting in agglomeration, reduced magnetic relaxivity, and inadequate functionality. To address these challenges, various synthesis methods and modification strategies have been used to tailor the size, shape, and properties of iron oxide nanoparticle (FeONP)-based nanocomposites. The resulting modified nanocomposites exhibit significant potential for application in diagnostic, therapeutic, and theranostic contexts, including MRI, drug delivery, and anticancer and antimicrobial activity. Yet, their biosafety profile must be rigorously evaluated. Such efforts will facilitate the broader clinical translation of FeONP-based nanocomposites in biomedical applications.

Modulating the Delivery of 5-Fluorouracil to Human Colon Cancer Cells Using Multifunctional Arginine-Coated Manganese Oxide Nanocuboids with MRI Properties

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most prescribed drugs and the major component of chemotherapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer. In this study, we have designed arginine-functionalized manganese oxide nanocuboids (Arg@MNCs) for the effective delivery of 5-FU to colon cancer cells. Arginine was used as multifunctional agent to provide stability to MNCs, achieve high drug loading, control the release of loaded drug, and improve delivery to cancer cells. The synthesized Arg@MNCs were characterized by DLS, TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, TGA, and VSM analysis. The structural and morphological analysis by TEM showed cuboid-shaped MNCs with average particle size ∼15 nm. Biodegradation studies indicated that the Arg@MNCs were degraded at endolyosomal pH in 24 h while remaining stable at physiological pH. Hemolytic toxicity studies revealed the safety and nontoxic nature of the prepared MNCs. 5-FU-loaded Arg@MNCs showed significant control over the release of 5-FU, decrease in the hemolytic toxicity of loaded 5-FU but higher in vitro anticancer activity against HCT 116 and SW480 human colon cancer cells. Importantly, both the bare MNCs and Arg@MNCs showed excellent T1 and T2MR relaxivity under 3.0 T MRI scanner. Thus, the nanostructures developed in this study, i.e., 5-FU-Arg@MNCs could overcome the issues of both MNCs (stability) and 5-FU (low drug loading and nonspecificity) and may be used as a multifunctional theranostic nanocarrier for colon cancer treatment.