Abstract:
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide, primarily due
to its high recurrence rates and the side effects associated with conventional
chemotherapy. Cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, is limited by severe
toxicity and drug resistance. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) functionalized
with Folic acid offer a targeted drug delivery approach that addresses these limitations
by selectively binding to overexpressed folate receptors in cervical cancer cells. But
when MSNs are used for medication delivery, systemic toxicity is decreased and drug
accumulation at tumor locations is enhanced. In silico analysis confirmed the
overexpression of folate receptors in cervical cancer tissues using data from GEPIA and
STRING. Molecular docking studies demonstrated strong binding affinities between
folic acid and the folate receptor, facilitating targeted drug delivery. In this study,
mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized and functionalized with folic acid for
targeted delivery of a Pt(IV) prodrug derived from cisplatin. Nanoparticle
characterization was performed using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and zeta potential analysis.
The prodrug-loaded MSNs that were optimized showed a zeta potential of -20.2 mV
and an average particle size of 307.7 nm and demonstrated efficient drug encapsulation
and drug loading efficiencies of 45% and 89% respectively. The in vitro cytotoxic
analysis of the optimized prodrug loaded MSN-FA demonstrated significantly
improved biological activities and increased cytopathic effect in Cervical Cancer
(Hela). These results imply that optimized prodrug loaded NFs can prove to be an
effective treatment against CC.
