Enhanced drug loading capacity of graphene oxide nanoparticles by polyglycerol hyper branching and increasing the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cancer cells to doxorubicin

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most aggressive and dangerous form of bone cancer. With the highest rate of occurrence in children and young adults, the first-choice treatment for Osteosarcoma after surgery is MAP regimen which includes high doses of doxorubicin (DOX). Doxorubicin, while effective at treatment of malignancies, poses very serious and lasting side effects on children's health. Nanomedicine and Drug delivery systems, a new and promising approach, for improving the treatment efficiency is mainly based on nanoparticles. An ideal delivery formulation with negligible toxicity and maximum loading efficiency and possibility of targeted delivery is the holy grail of nanomedicine. Graphene oxide and its derivatives are among the most widely used delivery opinions in nanomedicine. With exceptional surface to volume ratio, negligible toxicity and maximum loading efficiency it can be the sought-after carrier option for antiproliferative medications. In this study DOX electrochemically linked to the surface of pH-sensitive polyhydroxy glycerol-grafted graphene oxide nanoparticles, and its loading capacity, release efficiency, and cytotoxicity was assessed using various molecular tests such as flow cytometry, RT-PCR, MTT, and apoptosis assay. In vivo cytotoxicity assay of this nanocarrier was performed by determining the biochemical parameters attributed to organ injuries, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for histopathological manifestations, which showed that the nanocarrier has no significant toxic effect on healthy tissues. Chemical characterization and biological studies confirmed that the grafting branches of polyglycerol on Graphene oxide increase its loading capacity and make it a possible candidate for the delivery of cationic anticancer drugs such as DOX.

Automated summary

This study successfully linked DOX to the surface of pH-sensitive polyhydroxy glycerol-grafted graphene oxide nanoparticles, and assessed its loading capacity, release efficiency, and cytotoxicity using various molecular tests. The results showed that the nanocarrier had no significant toxic effect on healthy tissues, indicating its high potential for drug delivery.