ApoE Enhances Nanodisk-Mediated Curcumin Delivery to Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effect of incorporating the polyphenol, curcumin, into nanodisk (ND) particles on its biological activity. Materials & methods: Curcumin-NDs formulated with different scaffold proteins were incubated with cultured glioblastoma multiforme cells. Results: When ApoE was employed as the ND scaffold protein, enhanced curcumin uptake was observed. Furthermore, ApoE curcumin-NDs induced greater cell death than either free curcumin or ApoAI curcumin-NDs. A total of 1 h after exposure of glioblastoma multiforme cells to ApoE curcumin-NDs, significant curcumin uptake was detected while ApoE was localized at the cell surface. After 2 h, a portion of the curcumin had migrated to the nucleus, giving rise to enhanced fluorescence intensity in discrete intranuclear sites. Conclusion: ApoE-mediated interaction of curcumin-NDs with glioblastoma multiforme cells leads to enhanced curcumin uptake and increased biological activity.

Keywords::

• ApoE
• apoptosis
• confocal fluorescence microscopy
• curcumin
• glioblastoma
• nanodisk

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by a grant from the NIH (HL-64159) and an American Heart Association Western States Affiliate Predoctoral Fellowship (#10PRE3600031). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank A Johl for technical assistance.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the NIH (HL-64159) and an American Heart Association Western States Affiliate Predoctoral Fellowship (#10PRE3600031). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.