FOLATE RECEPTOR TARGETED ALGINATE MODIFIED CARBON EMBEDDED ZnO NANOPARTICLES FOR pH RESPONSIVE 5-FLUOROURACIL DELIVERY IN BREAST CANCER THERAPY

Abstract

The interest in multifunctional nanoplatforms as nanocarriers has surged among scientists due to their potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drug delivery to tumors, thereby offering improved cancer treatment options compared to current nonspecific and ineffective therapies. This study presents a novel cancer therapy strategy using ALG-coated ZnO NP adorned with folic acid to deliver the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The 5-FU is conjugated with carbon-embedded MOF-derived zinc oxide (C-ZnO) nanoparticles, enhancing its therapeutic potential. The synthesized C-ZnO-5-FU-ALG-FA nano-system was characterized successfully, showing a size of 87.47 nm and a zeta potential of -21.4 mV. The nanoconjugate was then checked for pH-dependent drug release behavior and it was found that at tumor pH (5.5) better drug release was 68.01% after 48 hours which was greater than drug release at normal pH 7.4. In conclusion, this novel nano-system shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment.