Carrier-Free Microspheres of an Anti-Cancer Drug Synthesized via a Sodium Catalyst for Controlled-Release Drug Delivery

There are several challenges involved in the development of effective anti-cancer drugs, including accurate drug delivery without toxic side effects. Possible systemic toxicity and the rapid biodegradation of drug carriers are potential risks in the use of carriers for drug-delivery formulations. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yong Xie, Xinxin Ma, Xujie Liu, Qingming Long, Yu Wang, Youwei Yao, Qiang Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
Series:Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/11/2/281
Description
Summary:There are several challenges involved in the development of effective anti-cancer drugs, including accurate drug delivery without toxic side effects. Possible systemic toxicity and the rapid biodegradation of drug carriers are potential risks in the use of carriers for drug-delivery formulations. Therefore, the carrier-free drug delivery of an anti-cancer drug is desirable. Herein, 4-amino-2-benzyl-6-methylpyrimidine (ABMP) was synthesized via a new method using a sodium catalyst, and proved to be effective in inducing breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-231) apoptosis. Moreover, the transparent amorphous state solid of ABMP was demonstrated to have a slow-release property in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Microspheres of ABMP were prepared with diameters in the range of 5–15 μm. The slow-release property of the ABMP microspheres indicated their potential use for controlled-release drug delivery. We believe that microspheres of ABMP have potential as a new kind of carrier-free anti-cancer drug delivery system.
ISSN:1996-1944