Enhancing the Efficacy of Paclitaxel with Nano-Activators: A Novel Approach to Mitigating the Chemotherapies Side-Effects
摘要
In the modern era of medical science, nanotechnology plays a pivotal role in drug repurposing, remodelling, novel drug delivery design, and advanced diagnostics. Various nanomaterials including nanoparticles (NPs) and nanoconjugates are being explored as carriers, immune modulators, and targeted agents to selectively eliminate defective cells. However, conventional anticancer drugs like paclitaxel (Px) often exhibit limitations such as off-target cytotoxicity and immune suppression. Reformulating such drugs with naturally derived bio-enhancers may mitigate side effects and enhance therapeutic potential. In this study, we investigated the synergistic interaction between drug (Px) and phytogenic NPs derived from Lantana camara, a natural weed. The nanoconjugates of drug Px with phytonanoparticles (PxPNC) were synthesized using a 1 mM genipin cross-linking solution shows upto 98% drug loading efficiency and nano-crystalline nature. Physicochemical characterization confirmed the formation of NPs (198.41 ± 0.09 nm) and their conjugation with Px (PxPNC: 227 ± 0.25 nm), with stable structural integrity maintained at pH ≥ 7 for up to 96% of drug content retention. In vitro studies demonstrated that the NPs at 0.4 µg/mL exhibited significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines (HeLa cells). Importantly, concentrations < 0.5 µg/mL showed negligible cytotoxicity against fibroblast cell line (L929 cells). Notably, Half maximal Inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of drug Px for HeLa cells − 0.51 ± 0.02 µg/mL and L929 fibroblast cells- 0.48 ± 0.02 µg/mL significantly improved in PxPNC i.e., HeLa cells-0.34 ± 0.01 µg/mL and L929 cells-0.47 ± 0.01 µg/mL respectively. Our findings suggest that incorporating L. camara phyto-components enhances the therapeutic index of paclitaxel, offering a promising plant-based nanoplatform for safer, more effective anticancer treatment potentially suitable for future preclinical investigations as a generic formulation.
Graphical Abstract