Successful tumor growth control using PLGA nanoparticles loaded with selol and nanomaghemite

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle has proven extremely useful for drug delivery, thanks to its high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and toxicologically safe degradation products. This talk will emphasize the use of nanosized (~140 nm mean diameter) PLGA loaded with selol and maghemite nanoparticles (~9 nm mean diameter). The platform comprising selol-maghemite-loaded PLGA nanoparticles is very promising for solid tumor growth hindering in combination with magnetohyperthermia. The effectiveness of using the as-fabricated selol-maghemite-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (NcSel) associated with different tumor treatment protocols will be explored. One-week treatment of combined therapy comprising magnetic hyperthermia and selol-loaded nanoparticles in reduced dosages is able to hinder primary breast tumor growth in aged animal model. Moreover, different biological observations are in excellent agreement with the parameters extracted from the logistic modelling. Importantly, biocompatibility analyses revealed that the adverse effects of the treatments are negligible. Taken together, the results herein reported lead us to suggest the translation of this nanotherapeutic approach for future clinical trials. In short, the use of NcSel plus MHT as a short-term neoadjuvant therapy, for example, may represent a less costly, safe and effective alternative in cancer control in aged patients. It is also expected that the shorter treatment period will contribute to the adherence of cancer patients.