Thymoquinone-loaded mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome as an efficient nano-system against breast cancer cells

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Nanotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Objective(s): Exosomes became the subject of extensive research in drug delivery approach due to their potential applicability as therapeutic tools for cancer therapy. Thymoquinone (Tq) is an anti-cancer agent due to its great anti-proliferative effect. However, poor solubility and weak bioavailability restrict its therapeutic applications. In this study, exosomes secreted from human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) were isolated and the efficacy of a novel encapsulation method for loading of Tq was investigated. Finally, the cytotoxic effect of Tq incorporated exosomes against cancer cells was evaluated.
Materials and Methods: Exosomes secreted from AdMSCs were isolated via ultracentrifugation and characterized by electron microscopy and western blotting. Then, through a novel encapsulation approach, Tq was loaded into exosomes by the combination of three methods including incubation, freeze-thawing, and surfactant treatment. Then, the encapsulation efficiency, in vitro cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity of Tq incorporated exosomes (Tq@EXOs) in MCF7 and L929 cells were estimated. 
Results: Tq loading into exosomes through our novel method caused a significant improvement in encapsulation efficiency of about 60%. The fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry outcomes indicated the efficient uptake of Tq@EXOs-FITC by cells throughout 4 hr. Furthermore, MTT results displayed the ability of Tq@EXOs in effectively decreasing the cell viability of MCF7 without causing any obvious cytotoxicity on L929 as normal cells.
Conclusion: The results suggest that our approach provides effective loading of Tq into exosomes which offer a valuable and safe platform for drug delivery to cancer cells thus having a great potential for clinical studies.  

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
Volume 25, Issue 6
June 2022
Pages 723-731

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