Poly(HydroxyButyrate-co-HydroxyValerate) (PHBHV) Nanocarriers for Silymarin Release as Adjuvant Therapy in Colo-rectal Cancer

• Main Authors: Ionut-Cristian Radu, Ariana Hudita, Catalin Zaharia, Paul O. Stanescu, Eugenia Vasile, Horia Iovu, Miriana Stan, Octav Ginghina, Bianca Galateanu, Marieta Costache, Peter Langguth, Aristidis Tsatsakis, Kelly Velonia, Carolina Negrei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2017-08-01
• Series: Frontiers in Pharmacology
• Subjects: nanocarriers; drug delivery; colo-rectal cancer; Silymarin; Poly(HydroxyButyrate-co-HydroxyValerate) (PHBHV)
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2017.00508/full

The aim of this study was to address one of the major challenges of the actual era of nanomedicine namely, the bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs such as Silymarin. We developed new, biodegradable, and biocompatible nanosized shuttles for Silymarin targeted delivery in colon-cancer cells. The design of these 100 nm sized carrier nanoparticles was based on natural polymers and their biological properties such as cellular uptake potential, cytotoxicity and 3D penetrability were tested using a colon cancer cell line (HT-29) as the in vitro culture model. Comparative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements demonstrated that the Silymarin loaded Poly(3-HydroxyButyrate-co-3-HydroxyValerate) (PHBHV) nanocarriers significantly decreased HT-29 cells viability after 6 and 24 h of treatment. Moreover, in vivo-like toxicity studies on multicellular tumor spheroids showed that the Silymarin loaded PHBHV nanocarriers are able to penetrate 3D micro tumors and significantly reduce their size.