title: Biocompatible ι-carrageenan-γ-maghemite nanocomposite for biomedical applications - synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer efficacy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carrageenans are naturally occurring hydrophilic, polyanionic polysaccharide bioploymers with wide application in pharmaceutical industries for controlled drug delivery. Magnetic nanoparticles with their exceptional properties enable them to be an ideal candidate for the production of functional nanostructures, thus facilitating them for biomedical applications. The development of novel nanocomposite by coupling the synergistic effects of the sulfated polysaccharide (iota carrageenan) and a magnetic nanoparticle (maghemite) may offer new interesting applications in drug delivery and cancer therapy. The nanocomposite was characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, high resolution scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and powder XRD to highlight the possible interaction between the two components. Biocompatibility and the anticancer efficacy of the nanocomposite were assayed and analysed in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results suggested that iota carrageenans have electrostatically entrapped the maghemite nanoparticles in their sulfate groups. Biocompatibility of the nanocomposite (at different concentrations) against normal cell lines (HEK-293 and L6) was confirmed by MTT assay. Hoechst 33342 and 7-AAD staining studies under fluorescent microscopy revealed that the nanocomposite is able to induce appoptosis as the mode of cell death in human colon cancer cell line (HCT116). Cell apoptosis here is induced by following the ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway, combined with downregulation of the expression levels of mRNA of XIAP and PARP-1 and upregulation of caspase3, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel nanocomposite is biocompatible with potential properties to serve in magnet aided targeted drug delivery and cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering and Drug design Lab, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. mayaraman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering and Drug design Lab, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. viswambari@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Viswambari
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering and Drug design Lab, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. mukeshd@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Mukesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doble
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000737:chemistry*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D045325:HCT116 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D057809:HEK293 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; C496866:XIAP protein, human; C000499:ferric oxide; D002351:Carrageenan