Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of novel methotrexate-loaded nanoparticles (MTX-NPs) in vitro and in vivo in the treatment of breast cancer. Materials & methods: MTX-NPs were tested for cellular uptake, cell viability, cell cycle, cellular wound migration and changes in tumor volume using characterized NPs. Results: The solid lipid NPs (SLNPs) showed strong cellular uptake, increased apoptosis, controlled cytotoxicity at lower IC₅₀ of methotrexate and a sizable reduction in tumor burden. Conclusion: MTX-NP oral formulation can be a promising candidate in breast cancer treatment with improved cellular uptake and in vivo efficacy.

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Vol. 17, No. 11

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History

Received 25 November 2021

Accepted 26 April 2022

Published online 16 May 2022

Published in print May 2022

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Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.futuremedicine.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2021-0446

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to M/s Cipla Ltd, India, for generously providing methotrexate; M/s BASF, Mannheim, Germany, for providing Kolliphor HS15; and School of Biotechnology, KIIT University for providing the infrastructure and facilities.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG), BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, project BIRAC/KIIT0030/BIG-05/14. A S acknowledges CSIR for research fellowship under CSIR-NET-SRF program (09/1035(0010)/2017-EMR-1). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

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