Logigan Corina-Lenuta, Peptu Cristian, Stan Corneliu S, Luta Gabriel, Tiron Crina Elena, Pinteala Mariana, Foryś Aleksander, Simionescu Bogdan, Ibanescu Constanta, Tiron Adrian, Peptu Catalina A
Department of Natural and Synthetic Polymers, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania.
"Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Aug 4;26(15):7535. doi: 10.3390/ijms26157535.
Liposomes (LPs) represent one of the most effective nanoscale platforms for drug delivery in cancer therapy due to their favorable pharmacokinetic and various body tissue compatibility profiles. Building on recent findings showing that carbon dots derived from N-hydroxyphthalimide (CDs-NHF) possess intrinsic antitumor activity, herein, we investigate the possibility of preparing complex nano-platforms composed of LPs encapsulating CDs-NHF and/or doxorubicin (DOX) for breast and lung cancer. Various LP formulations were prepared and characterized using Cryo-TEM and Cryo-SEM for morphological analysis, while zeta potential and fluorescence assessments confirmed their stability and optical properties. Cellular effects were evaluated through immunofluorescence microscopy and proliferation assays. LPs-CDs-NHF significantly reduced cancer cell viability at lower concentrations compared to free CDs-NHF, and this effect was further amplified when combined with doxorubicin. Mechanistically, the liposomal formulations downregulated key signaling molecules including pAKT, pmTOR, and pERK, indicating the disruption of cancer-related pathways. These findings suggest that LPs containing CDs-NHF, either alone or in combination with DOX, exhibit synergistic antitumor activity and hold strong promise as multifunctional nanocarriers for future oncological applications.
脂质体（LPs）因其良好的药代动力学和多种身体组织相容性特征，成为癌症治疗中最有效的纳米级药物递送平台之一。基于最近的研究结果表明，由N-羟基邻苯二甲酰亚胺衍生的碳点（CDs-NHF）具有内在的抗肿瘤活性，在此，我们研究了制备由包裹CDs-NHF和/或阿霉素（DOX）的脂质体组成的复合纳米平台用于乳腺癌和肺癌治疗的可能性。制备了各种脂质体制剂，并使用冷冻透射电子显微镜（Cryo-TEM）和冷冻扫描电子显微镜（Cryo-SEM）进行形态分析，同时通过zeta电位和荧光评估证实了它们的稳定性和光学性质。通过免疫荧光显微镜和增殖试验评估细胞效应。与游离的CDs-NHF相比，LPs-CDs-NHF在较低浓度下显著降低癌细胞活力，并且当与阿霉素联合使用时，这种效果进一步增强。从机制上讲，脂质体制剂下调了包括pAKT、pmTOR和pERK在内的关键信号分子，表明癌症相关途径被破坏。这些发现表明，含有CDs-NHF的脂质体，无论是单独使用还是与DOX联合使用，都表现出协同抗肿瘤活性，并作为未来肿瘤学应用的多功能纳米载体具有很大的前景。
