Abstract
This study aimed to improve delivery of lomustine as a chemotherapeutic agent and to increase its uptake by U87-MG cancer cells via synthesizes LN-FA-PG-SPIONs (lomustine loaded polyglycerol coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with folic acid). Nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal decomposition method and characterized using TEM (transmission microscope), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), and VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer). Lomustine release from nanoparticles was determined by dialysis-bag diffusion technique. Nanoparticles cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. Mean size of SPIONs and FA-PG-SPIONs (PG-SPIONs conjugated with folic acid) were 7.1 ± 1.13 nm and 25.1 ± 3.94 nm, respectively. Based on FTIR spectra SPIONs were successfully coated by polyglycerol and conjugated with folic acid. Lomustine encapsulation efficiency was 46 ± 6.8 %. SPIONs were cytotoxic on U87-MG cells at concentration above 100 ug/ml (p < 0.05) but PG-SPIONs do not reduce viability significantly (p > 0.05). Conjugation of folic acid with PG-SPIONs increased nanoparticles uptake by U87-MG cells (p < 0.05). We concluded that however FA-PG-SPIONs are proposed as a useful tracer for diagnostic and treatment of GBM but their drug delivery properties for lomustine is not satisfactory and more researches are necessary with this regard.