Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide, thus there is a constant demand for new solutions, which may increase the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies. We have designed and successfully obtained a novel, bifunctional, hybrid system composed of colloidally stabilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and curcumin containing water-soluble conjugate with potential application in anticancer hyperthermia and as nanocarriers of curcumin. The obtained nanoparticulate system was thoroughly studied in respect to the size, morphology, surface charge, magnetic properties as well as some biological functions. The results revealed that the obtained nanoparticles, ca. 50 nm in diameter, were the agglomerates of primary particles with the magnetic, iron oxide cores of ca. 13 nm, separated by a thin layer of the applied cationic derivative of chitosan. These agglomerates were further coated with a thin layer of the sodium alginate conjugate of curcumin and the presence of both polymers was confirmed using thermogravimetry. The system was also proven to be applicable in magnetic hyperthermia induced by the oscillating magnetic field. A high specific absorption rate (SAR) of 280 [W/g] was registered. The nanoparticles were shown to be effectively uptaken by model cells. They were found also to be nontoxic in the therapeutically relevant concentration in in vitro studies. The obtained results indicate the high application potential of the new hybrid system in combination of magnetic hyperthermia with delivery of curcumin active agent.
Keywords: SPION; cationic chitosan; curcumin conjugate; magnetic hyperthermia; magnetic nanoparticles.