Radiation-induced green fabrication of sodium hyaluronate-functionalized selenium nanohybrids for improved camptothecin delivery and anticancer efficacy

A rapid and efficient gamma radiation-driven method was developed to fabricate sodium hyaluronate-functionalized selenium nanohybrids (SeNHs@HA) for targeted delivery of camptothecin (CPT), aiming to improve selectivity, therapeutic efficacy, and safety. Sodium hyaluronate (HA) was employed as a stabilizing, capping and surface functionalizing agent for SeNPs, leading to the formation of SeNHs@HA. Key parameters, including pH, HA concentration and gamma irradiation dose, were systematically optimized to precisely control particle size, morphology, and surface characteristics. Under optimized conditions, core-shell structured SeNHs@HA were successfully synthesized via a green approach and exhibited a uniform, monodispersed spherical morphology with an average diameter of 64.10 nm. The hydrophobic CPT was efficiently encapsulated within the multifunctional nanocarrier, resulting in enlarged CPT-SeNHs@HA nanostructures with improved physicochemical properties, enhanced cellular uptake, and increased targeting capability. The nanohybrids demonstrated a distinct pH-responsive release behavior, with accelerated drug release under acidic conditions, reaching 74.58% at 72 h. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated significantly enhanced anticancer activity against MCF-7 cells (IC 50 =0.79 µM), representing a 5.96-fold improvement over free CPT (IC 50 =4.71 µM). Additionally, the system induced early apoptosis (32.91%) and S-phase cell cycle arrest. These findings highlight smart CPT-SeNHs@HA as a promising platform for targeted breast cancer drug delivery system.