Synthesis and drug delivery performance of gelatin-decorated magnetic graphene oxide nanoplatform

In the present study, we have designed and developed gelatin-decorated magnetic graphene oxide nanoplatform (MGO@GEL) for photothermal therapy and paclitaxel delivery. The surface morphology, chemical structure, magnetic property, and thermal stability of the MGO@GEL nanosheets were investigated using TEM, AFM, FTIR, XRD, BET, VSM, and TGA methods. Paclitaxel (PAC) as a chemotherapy drug, release behavior was performed at two pH levels and showed strong pH dependence. The anticancer efficiency and biocompatibility of the nanosheets were achieved by MTT analysis using MCF-7 cancer cells with and without 808 NIR laser and L-929 fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive release behavior of the nanosheets demonstrated higher PAC release at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.4. Moreover, cytotoxicity analysis illustrated the MGO@GEL nanosheets are biocompatible while MGO@GEL@PAC nanosheets exhibited high toxicity to kill MCF-7 cells, especially with NIR laser. Based on the obtained results, the developed multifunctional nanostructures may be a promising candidate for chemo-photothermal therapy and drug delivery.

Automated summary

A multifunctional gelatin-decorated magnetic graphene oxide nanoplatform was developed for efficient delivery of paclitaxel in chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. The nanosheets exhibited pH-dependent drug release behavior and demonstrated high toxicity towards MCF-7 cancer cells. Overall, the results suggest that this nanostructure has potential for chemo-photothermal therapy and drug delivery.