The development of folate-functionalised palladium nanoparticles for folate receptor targeting in breast cancer cells
Sendibitiyosi Gandidzanwa, Natasha Beukes, Sinelizwi V. Joseph, A. Janse van Vuuren, Philani Mashazi, Jonathan Britton, Gareth Kilian, Saartjie Roux, Tebello Nyokong, Michael Lee, C. Frost, Zenixole R. Tshentu
Abstract
Folate receptor-targeted therapy has excellent prospects for the treatment of breast cancer. A non-toxic concentration of folate-conjugated palladium-based nanoparticles was used to target the overexpressed folate receptor on breast cancer cells. The folate-conjugated nanoparticles were tailored to accumulate selectively in cancer cells relative to normal cells via the folate receptor. The MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines, and MCF-10A normal cell lines were used in the study. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of nanoparticle cellular uptake and accumulation was conducted using transmission electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The findings proved that folate-conjugated palladium nanoparticles successfully and preferentially accumulated in breast cancer cells. We conclude that folate-conjugated palladium nanoparticles can be potentially used to target breast cancer cells for radiopharmaceutical applications.