title: Carboxymethylinulin-Chitosan Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Antineoplastic Mitoxantrone.
abstract: Mitoxantrone (MTX) is an antineoplastic agent whose use is limited by serious side effects on non-neoplastic cells. The aim of this study was the development of a new drug release system using an ionotropic gelation technique for microencapsulation of MTX in chitosan-carboxymethylinulin nanoparticles (CCInp), followed by evaluation of their cytotoxic effects on neoplastic MDA-MB-231 and non-neoplastic NIH3T3 cell lines. The CCInp were prepared through a new reliable method for easy functionalization of both inulin and chitosan. Both unloaded and drug-loaded nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) and showed a spherical morphology with an average hydrodynamic diameter between 40 and 80 nm. Both nanoparticles were stable and easily degraded by lysozyme. MTX-loaded nanoparticles led to a greater mortality of MDA-MB-231 relative to free drug due to the ability of the nanoparticles to accumulate preferentially in neoplastic cells. The developed drug release system retains the ability to kill MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro, improving the survival of NIH3T3 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3975-0127
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pivi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-9260
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Profumo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5369-9140
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quadrelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3763-6657
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milanese
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Risi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Health Technologies (CHT), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 3/b, 27100, Pavia, Italy.|Department of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Environmental Risks, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, S. Maugeri Foundation, Via S. Boezio, 28, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1181-3632
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visai
keywords: biopolymer; chitosan; ionotropic gelation; mitoxantrone; nanoparticles