Investigation of the Role of Encapsulated miR-372 in Chitosan on Induction of Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cancer Cells

In recent years, various efforts have been made to improve the functional potency of cancer drugs. Due to the fact that microRNA in the cell can act as a tumor inhibitor, it can be used as a suitable treatment for most cancers. In this study, chitosan coating is considered a factor that enhances function and effectiveness of microRNAs. MCF-7 cell line was divided into four experimental groups, including an untreated MCF-7 cell group, MCF-7 cell group with miR encapsulated with chitosan, MCF-7 cell group with chitosan, and MCF-7 cell group with doxorubicin as a positive control group. The effect of different concentrations of miR-372 was first evaluated, and the optimal dose was selected to evaluate the following parameters: the induction of cell death by applying flow cytometry, the cell survival by MTT, and the level of P53 protein by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that the dose of 1500 ng/μl of miR-372 coated with chitosan could induce cell death up to 50% in 24 and 72 hours of treatment. In addition, the rate of induction of cell death in the group treated with miR-372 coated with chitosan for 72 hours was statistically significant compared with the control group. In addition, the expression level of P53 protein in the same group was statistically significant compared with the control group. According to the results, the use of cell proliferation cycle regulators such as miR-372 can control the process of proliferation and thus improve the treatment of cancer.