Liposomal encapsulation of a synthetic bromophenol for antitumor efficacy and apoptotic activity in cancer cells

A novel synthetic bromophenol (BP), inspired by marine-derived natural bromophenols, was evaluated for its antitumor activity and for the enhancement of its in vitro performance through liposomal encapsulation (LipoBP). Etoposide was used as a reference in characterization, release, and loading studies. PEGylated liposomes were employed to improve BP's solubility, bioavailability, and therapeutic potential. The cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and gene expression effects of free BP and LipoBP were assessed in A549 (lung) and MCF-7 (breast) cancer cell lines. WST-8 assays showed that encapsulation significantly increased BP's cytotoxic activity, particularly in A549 cells, while flow cytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI analyses indicated more pronounced apoptotic induction by LipoBP compared with free BP. qRT-PCR analyses revealed upregulation of proapoptotic genes (BAX, CASP6, CASP3 and CASP9) and downregulation of antiapoptotic/survival genes (BCL-XL, IQSEC2) in both cell lines, indicating activation of intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Plain liposomes exhibited minimal cytotoxicity, confirming their biocompatibility. Liposomal bromophenol, which we have introduced to the literature for the first time, is expected to be a promising nanocarrier system that could be effective in cancer treatment by improving the therapeutic index of new drug candidates such as marine bromophenols.