Preparation and Characterization of of Paclitaxel Loaded Fe3O4-PEG magnetite Nanoparticles on Cancer Cells

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are promising nanocarriers for novel drug delivery systems due to their low toxicity, biocompatibility, high loading capacity, and controlled drug delivery to cancer cells. This study investigates the effect of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) on MCF-7 and T47D (breast adenocarcinoma) cancer cells compared to paclitaxel using the MTT method. In this study, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using the Polyol method, and paclitaxel was loaded onto PEGylated magnetic nanoparticles. FT-IR analysis was used to confirm PEG binding to the nanoparticles and the loading of the drug onto the nanoshell. The average size and crystalline structure of the nanoparticles were characterized using TEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Subsequently, the cytotoxic effects were evaluated on MCF-7 and T47D cancer cells using the MTT assay. The FT-IR results indicated the presence of O-H and C-H bands at 3392 cm-1 and 2927 cm-1, correlating with PEG binding to the nanoparticles. The XRD pattern revealed the cubic spinel structure of the magnetite nanoparticles, with a mean size of 12 nm. IC50 values for treatment with PEGylated nanoparticles were 24 and 16 µg for MCF-7 cell lines, and 31 and 21 µg for T47D cell lines at 24 and 48 hours, respectively (p<0.05). This study demonstrates that PEGylation of magnetic nanoparticles can enhance the efficacy of paclitaxel on MCF-7 and T47D cancer cells. Additionally, T47D cells exhibited relatively higher resistance compared to MCF-7 cells.