Abstract
PURPOSE: To develop and characterize a micellar system, SMA-TQ (styrene-maleic acid-thymoquinone), for the potential management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: SMA synthesis and TQ encapsulation in SMA are described. The loading of TQ in SMA-TQ was established at 20%. The size of SMA-TQ micelle as determined by DLS was in average of 155.2 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.350. In vitro testing was carried out in 4T1 TNBC cell line, and in vivo testing in mice model of TNBC. RESULTS: In vitro experiments revealed an added effect of SMA-TQ and doxorubicin (Doxo) at doses of 1-3 mM). In vivo studies showed that the combination of SMA-TQ and Doxo had the least mean tumor growth (509.6%) compared to other treatments. CONCLUSION: Obtained results collectively suggest that the combination of SMA-TQ and Doxo has cumulative effects in inhibiting tumor growth, emphasizing the significance of combination therapies to enhance anticancer effectiveness. This work reveals SMA-TQ micellar system as complementary therapeutic option in TNBC.