Pyrene-tagged poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) as efficient nano-carrier for anticancer drug delivery

Abstract

Herein, we report the use of self-assembled amphiphilic pyrene-tagged poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PyPNVP) micelles as effective anticancer delivery vehicle. Self-assembly phenomenon of PyPNVP has been studied in aqueous medium. Anticancer drug doxorubicin has been encapsulated in the hydrophobic micellar core and in vitro release profiles have been explored in four different pH values (pH 7.4 − 1.4). The drug-loaded construct has shown pH-responsive higher drug release at lower pH. Anticancer activity of the construct has been studied against human squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri cell line. The in vitro study has shown the highly effective tumoricidal activity.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Doxorubicin
• in vitro biological study
• pyrene-tagged poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)
• self-assembly
• SiHa cell

Acknowledgement

Authors gratefully acknoledge Prof. P. P. Manna (Dept. of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India) for his kind suggestions regarding statistical analysis of cell viability data.

Ethical approval

The authors declare that, no animal or human studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Biswajit Ray acknowledges Council of Science and Industrial Research, Govt. of India, through Grant no. 02(0002)/11/EMR-II and IOE(BHU)(6031), Biswajit Ray and Kheyanath Mitra acknowledge Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, (Grant BT/PR889/NNT/28/570/2011), for financial support and fellowship, respectively.