Thiolated β-cyclodextrin modified iron oxide nanoparticles for effective targeted cancer therapy

Inspired by the mitochondria iron-sulfur protein, direct functionalization of thiolated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-SH) on iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) through Fe-S bond was done. The resulting system had an average size of 14 nm with an ellipsoidal shape. The X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the formation of the Fe-S bond. Doxorubicin (DOX) was chosen as a model drug, about 12.45 µM/mg entrapped in β-CD-SH coated IONPs (TβCD-IONPs). The hybrid nanocarrier possessed high stability and drug loading efficiency. The invitro release data revealed an overall sustainable release profile without initial bust. The Higuchi kinetic model best fits the release mechanism, based on diffusion action in dosages proportional to the square root of time. The surface coating and particle size have a crucial role in the cellular responses and effective toxic mechanisms. The cellular internalization of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) into the breast cancer cell line MCF-07 was done using MTT assay and confocal imaging. The prepared system shows high performance with an IC₅₀ value at 67 nM of nanoparticle concentration. The prepared nanoparticles are promising candidates for the effective targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs with enhanced theragnostic activity.