Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems are rapidly advancing in cancer therapy, providing reduced toxic side effects and improved efficacy through controlled drug release. This study encapsulated docetaxel (DTX) in a PCL-PEG-PCL matrix using a modified nano-precipitation method, focusing on its cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cell lines. The research aimed to clarify the mechanisms behind the cytotoxic effects and cell death induced by DTX-loaded nano-carriers, utilizing human breast cancer cell lines as an experimental model. The synthesized nano-carriers were characterized through methods such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Drug release kinetics and encapsulation efficiency were evaluated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and dialysis techniques. The cytotoxicity of DTX-loaded nano-carriers and free DTX was assessed in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and fibroblast cell lines over 48 and 72 hours using MTT assays to measure viability and Hoechst 33342 staining for apoptosis. Results showed that nano-carriers significantly inhibited cell growth in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, especially with formulation P1 over 72 hours, compared to 48 hours. Apoptosis assays confirmed the effective induction of cell death by nano-carriers. The IC50 values for formulation P1 were substantially higher after 72 hours. Overall, these findings suggest that the designed nano-carriers promote controlled drug release and enhance apoptotic cell death while reducing the toxic side effects of docetaxel on normal cells, highlighting their potential in cancer therapeutics.
Khojastehfar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.