Construction of self-assembled rhein–methotrexate nanoparticles and study of their synergistic anti-breast cancer mechanism
Abstract
stability. Cell experiments showed that MR demonstrated significantly enhanced cellular uptake in MCF-7 cells relative to free drugs. Moreover, MR induced mitochondrial structural damage and a decrease in membrane potential, indicating that it can induce cellular dysfunction through the mitochondrial pathway. Further studies found that MR significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of MCF-7 cells, promoted their apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, and exhibited anti-tumor activity that was significantly superior to that of MTX or Rhe alone and their physical mixture. In summary, the carrier-free self-assembled nanosystem developed in this research not only provides a robust platform for the effective delivery of hydrophobic natural compounds, but also provides an experimental basis for the development of synergistic chemotherapy strategies for breast cancer.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Cancer Research and Treatment
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Materials Chemistry B
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 26
- Pages
- 8259–8270
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN