Preparation and Characterization of Drug-Delivery System of Chitosan Nanoparticles Containing Doxorubicin for Use in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Drug-delivery systems have exhibited many advantages over intravenous or oral drug administration, especially for cancer treatment. Therefore, biodegradable implants have received lots of attention for controlled delivery and release of anticancer drugs.

In the present study, chitosan-based nanoparticles (CsNPs) were prepared using ionic gelation method, and were used as carrier for loading doxorubicin (DOX). CsNPs were characterized before and after the drug loading by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential.

The in-vitro assessments showed that drug release profile of CsNPs/DOX exhibited an appropriate release rate that could be more effective against the cancer cells; as the controlled release of drug in a dedicated period (0-120 hours), could tend to more effectiveness in fighting cancer cells.

Based on the results of this research, the CsNPs/DOX system can be an appropriate choice for replacement of multiple-doses injections of doxorubicin for breast cancer treatment.