Toxicity comparison of two nanocarriers, magnetic mesoporous silica and polyoxometalate, using in vitro methods in PC-3 cells

Nanocarriers have garnered significant global attention in pharmaceutical research due to their potential to revolutionize drug transportation and formulation. These systems enhance therapeutic efficacy, minimize off-target effects, and enable controlled release, making the identification of safer, more efficient nano-delivery platforms critical for advancing in vitro and clinical applications. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of two novel drug delivery systems—superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with silica (SPION@silica) and iron-containing polyoxometalate (FeMo6)—against prostate cancer (PC-3) and normal Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. SPION@silica and FeMo6 were synthesized via co-precipitation and solvothermal methods, respectively, yielding uniform particle sizes of 20 nm and 50 nm, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Structural and compositional integrity were validated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytotoxicity assessments via MTT assay revealed distinct profiles for the two systems. FeMo6 demonstrated potent tumor-killing activity, reducing PC-3 cell viability to 35% at 48 hours post-treatment, compared to 65% viability with SPION@silica. However, FeMo6 also exhibited moderate cytotoxicity toward CHO cells (55% viability), suggesting non-selective mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species generation or mitochondrial disruption. In contrast, SPION@silica showed minimal toxicity to healthy cells (85% CHO viability), attributed to the biocompatible silica shell shielding the magnetic core. These findings highlight a critical trade-off: while FeMo6’s polyoxometalate structure enables robust anticancer activity, its broader cytotoxicity necessitates caution in therapeutic applications. SPION@silica, with its favorable safety profile, emerges as a promising candidate for targeted drug delivery, though its lower tumor suppression efficacy warrants further optimization.