Formulation, Characterization, And Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Dasatinib-Loaded Nanosponges on A498 And Mcf-7 Cell Lines

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate Dasatinib-loaded nanosponges (NSPs) as a drug delivery system for improved therapeutic efficacy against renal (A498) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. The NSPs were synthesized using an ultrasound-assisted approach with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) as the complexing agent. The NSPs were characterized for their particle size, polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and stability. The resulting NSPs exhibited a uniform nanosuspension with a particle size of 148.38 ± 2.64 nm, a PdI of 0.221 ± 0.043, and a zeta potential of -22.54 ± 2.83 mV, suggesting good stability and steric stabilization. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be 72.62 ± 3.31%. In vitro drug release studies showed that the NSPs provided a prolonged release of Dasatinib over 60 hours, in contrast to the rapid burst release observed with the pure drug. Cytotoxicity assays using the MTT method demonstrated that Dasatinib-loaded NSPs exhibited reduced cytotoxicity compared to the pure drug, with higher IC50 values on both A498 and MCF-7 cell lines. The IC50 for Dasatinib NSPs was 73.155 µg/ml for A498 cells and 53.34 µg/ml for MCF-7 cells, compared to the pure drug's IC50 values of 40.23 µg/ml and 32.54 µg/ml, respectively. Morphological analysis revealed apoptosis-like cell changes upon treatment with NSPs, indicating their potential for therapeutic application. These findings suggest that Dasatinib-loaded NSPs offer a promising approach for controlled and sustained drug delivery, enhancing the therapeutic index while reducing systemic toxicity in cancer treatment.