Abstract
Aim: The natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has recently been credited for possessing anticancer properties. Herein, we investigate the cytotoxic actions of DHA-loaded low-density lipoprotein (LDL) nanoparticles in normal and liver cancer cells. Materials & methods: LDL-DHA nanoparticles were prepared and subjected to extensive biophysical characterization. The therapeutic utility of LDL-DHA nanoparticles was evaluated in normal and malignant murine hepatocyte cell lines, TIB-73 and TIB-75, respectively. Results & discussion: The engineered LDL-DHA nanoparticles possessed enhanced physical and oxidative stabilities over native LDL and free DHA. Dose-response studies showed that therapeutic doses of LDL-DHA nanoparticles that completely killed TIB-75 were innocuous to TIB-73. The selective induction of lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species in the cancer cells was shown to play a central role in LDL-DHA nanoparticle-mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusion: In summary, these findings indicate that LDL-DHA nanoparticles show great promise as a selective anticancer agent against hepatocellular carcinoma.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2123-2141 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Nanomedicine |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1 2014 |
Keywords
- Docosahexaenoic acid
- Liver cancer
- Low-density lipoprotein
- Low-density lipoprotein receptor
- Nanoparticle
- Omega-3 fatty acids
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Biomedical Engineering
- General Materials Science