Target Specific <scp>PLGA</scp> Nanoparticles for Effective Delivery of Doxorubicin for the Treatment of Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT The study seeks to develop a doxorubicin‐encapsulated PLGA nanoparticle‐mediated drug delivery system for lung cancer treatment. The average particle size, as determined by FESEM, ranged from 90 to 130 nm, with an average hydrodynamic size of 158.3 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.164 measured using DLS. An increase in surface charge potential from −19.1 mV to 37.2 mV indicated the conjugation of cationic PEI with PLGA. The Higuchi mathematical model was identified as the most suitable model to describe the drug release kinetics, suggesting a diffusion‐controlled drug release from the polymeric matrix of the nanoparticles. The treated A549 lung cancer cell lines exhibited cellular damage, characterized by irregularly shaped, detached cells, as confirmed through bright field microscopy and visualized using Acridine orange/EtBr staining. The IC 50 values for nanoparticle‐treated cells decreased by 4.35‐fold, indicating enhanced anticancer properties of the nanoformulation compared to the naïve drugs. HEK 293 cells were considered for cell viability assessment. A wound healing or scratch assay was conducted to observe the effect of the formulated nanoparticles on the metastatic properties of treated cancerous cells. Furthermore, a 1.8‐fold increase in the expression of p53 (tumor suppressor protein) in nanoparticle‐treated lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549 cells) was monitored using the western blot technique.