Efficacy of Antineoplastic Nanocarriers on 3D Oral Cancer Spheroids

Abstract

Background/Aim: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional treatments as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and combined therapies are commonly used. However, these therapies have several limitations and side effects. To address these issues, innovative research is being conducted on nanocarriers (NCs) functionalized with antineoplastic agents. These NCs aim to overcome limitations and improve patients' lives. However, before they can be used clinically, these NCs are primarily assessed on a lab scale to determine their efficacy. Materials and Methods: A primary cell culture was established from a lymphoblastic neoplasm in the maxilla. After characterization, the cells were cultured in 2D to evaluate the dose-effect of nanoparticles (NPs), such as Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Magnesium oxide (MgO), as well as those of free drugs of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (Cis). Based on the results, a 3D spheroid culture was used for further study. Finally, the spheroids were histologically processed for immuno-morphological observation. Results: To evaluate spheroid cell viability, we conducted an MTT assay. Treatment of cell spheroids with ZnONPs, 5-FU, and NPs conjugated with antitumor agents such as 5-FU-ZnO and Cis-ZnO decreased cell viability by >25%, >60% and >10% and <20% at a concentration of 0.06, 0.015 and 0.015 & 0.03 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Nanoparticles conjugated with antitumor agents showed promising antineoplastic effects on both 2D and 3D cell cultures. However, the efficacy of the nanoparticles varied between the different models. This highlights the importance of selecting appropriate in vitro culture models for the evaluation of biomedical agents.