ApoE Enhances Nanodisk-Mediated Curcumin Delivery to Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells

AIM: To evaluate the effect of incorporating the polyphenol, curcumin, into nanodisk (ND) particles on its biological activity. MATERIALS & METHODS: Curcumin-NDs formulated with different scaffold proteins were incubated with cultured glioblastoma multiforme cells. RESULTS: When ApoE was employed as the ND scaffold protein, enhanced curcumin uptake was observed. Furthermore, ApoE curcumin-NDs induced greater cell death than either free curcumin or ApoAI curcumin-NDs. A total of 1 h after exposure of glioblastoma multiforme cells to ApoE curcumin-NDs, significant curcumin uptake was detected while ApoE was localized at the cell surface. After 2 h, a portion of the curcumin had migrated to the nucleus, giving rise to enhanced fluorescence intensity in discrete intranuclear sites. CONCLUSION: ApoE-mediated interaction of curcumin-NDs with glioblastoma multiforme cells leads to enhanced curcumin uptake and increased biological activity.