Nanotechnology Reviews (Nov 2021)

Multiresponsive carboxylated graphene oxide-grafted aptamer as a multifunctional nanocarrier for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and bioactive compounds in cancer therapy

  • Yaghoubi Fatemeh,
  • Naghib Seyed Morteza,
  • Motlagh Najmeh Sadat Hosseini,
  • Haghiralsadat Fateme,
  • Jaliani Hossein Zarei,
  • Tofighi Davood,
  • Moradi Ali

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2021-0110
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1838 – 1852

Abstract

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To date, the use of nanocarriers has been developed in various fields, especially in cancer treatment. Graphene oxide (GO) is a novel drug delivery system that eagerly attracts the attention of many researchers due to its unique features. For the first time, a biocompatible AS1411 APT-GO-COOH was synthesized for the co-delivery of chemotherapeutics and herbal drugs. Here, a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS) was targeted with aptamer-carboxylated graphene oxide (APT-CGO) containing anticancer drugs (curcumin (CUR) and doxorubicin (DOX)). The current study aimed to assess the anti-cancer effect of combination therapy, as well as target genes and proteins interfering in the development of gastric cancer. After attachment of APT to CGO, the drugs (CUR and DOX) were loaded on the carrier, establishing a co-delivery system. Then, physical characteristics, release profile, cytotoxicity assay, cellular uptake, expression rates of the genes (RB1, CDK2, AKT, and NF-KB) and proteins (RB1, CDK2), and the apoptosis rate were determined. The designed co-delivery system for the drugs (CUR and DOX) and APT showed a thermo- and pH-sensitive drug release behavior that successfully reduced the expression of CDK2, AKT, and NF-KB while it enhanced RB1 expression at the gene and protein levels. Also, APT-CGO-drugs were successfully targeted to the AGS cell line, leading to a highly inhibitory property against this cell line compared to CGO-drugs. It seems that the co-delivery of CUR and DOX along with APT as a targeting agent was more effective than CGO-drugs, suggesting a promising candidate for the treatment of gastric cancer. The results showed that this biofunctionalized nanocarrier could reduce the cytotoxicity of the drugs in normal cells and could increase efficiency.

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