Curcumin-Loaded Chitosan-Coated Nanoparticles as a New Approach for the Local Treatment of Oral Cavity Cancer

Abstract

Mucoadhesive nanoparticles loaded with curcumin were developed as a new approach to deliver curcumin for the local treatment of oral cancer. PCL nanoparticles coated with chitosan displaying different molar masses were prepared by using the nanoprecipitation technique. The mucoadhesive properties of nanoparticle suspensions were demonstrated by their strong ability to interact with the glycoprotein mucin through electrostatic interactions. Similar permeation profiles of curcumin loaded in uncoated and chitosan-coated nanoparticles across porcine esophageal mucosa were verified. Curcumin concentrations retained in the mucosa suggest the possibility of a local effect of the drug. In vitro studies demonstrated that free curcumin.and curcumin loaded into nanoparticles coated with chitosan caused significant reduction of SCC-9 human oral cancer cell viability in a concentration and time-dependent manner. However, no significant cell death was observed after 24 h of treatment with unloaded nanoparticles coated with chitosan. In addition, curcumin-loaded nanoparticles showed reduced cytotoxicity, when compared with the free drug. Therefore, chitosan-coated PCL nanoparticles may be considered a promising strategy to deliver curcumin directly into the oral cavity for the treatment of oral cancer.

Future trends and emerging issues for nanodelivery systems in oral and oropharyngeal cancer

“…Concentration and purity can be examined with the help of dynamic light scattering (DLS), that is based on Brownian NP movement. 46 Typically, NP characterization is also performed through ζ-potential analysis. The ζ-potential is a key indicator of the stability of NP suspensions, and DLS characterizes particle size and size distribution.…”

“…The ζ-potential is a key indicator of the stability of NP suspensions, and DLS characterizes particle size and size distribution. 46 After the particles are characterized, the first layer of biological assessment of their effects takes place in in vitro conditions. In order to follow and quantify the speed of their internalization, two major types of microscopy can be used: fluorescence microscopy and electronic microscopy.…”

“…In the case of the KB cell line, a cross-contaminated cell line with HeLa cells, the nanocarrier enhanced the effects of ellagic acid, and in SCC9 cells the NPs showed mucoadhesive properties, interacting with the glycoprotein mucin and leading to increased apoptosis. 46,51 One step further may be the nanodelivery of RNA. The HTERT gene was successfully silenced by dendrimerdelivered shRNA in vitro, resulting in cell death and growth inhibition; meanwhile, in a xenograft mouse model it reduced tumor growth.…”

Chitosan Modified Poly(lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles Interaction With Normal, Precancerous Keratinocytes and Dental Pulp Cells

“…6 Original Articles 16-26. Chitosan nanocarriers could be used in future dental applications 9 such as in dentin pulp regeneration procedures, [10][11] in bone regeneration techniques, 12 in endodontics [13][14][15] or in periodontal therapy. 12,16 Moreover, chitosan containing NPs were able to transport antitumour substances to different cancer cell lines, [17][18][19] including oral cancer cells. [18][19] Despite numerous scientifi c reports regarding organic nanomaterials in medicine, more experiments are needed in order to asses the effects of organic NPs on the oral mucosa.…”

“…12,16 Moreover, chitosan containing NPs were able to transport antitumour substances to different cancer cell lines, [17][18][19] including oral cancer cells. [18][19] Despite numerous scientifi c reports regarding organic nanomaterials in medicine, more experiments are needed in order to asses the effects of organic NPs on the oral mucosa. It has been shown that the interactions between NPs and cells depends on the cell type, as well as on the size and surface charge of NPs.…”