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Transferrin Tethered Fluorescent Organic Nanoparticles for Receptor‐Mediated Targeted Delivery of Paclitaxel to Cancer Cells

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cancer remains a critical global issue, marked by its high mortality rates. Despite achieving remarkable progress in cancer treatments, conventional chemotherapeutic drugs face numerous limitations. To this end, nanomaterial‐based targeted drug delivery systems have emerged as a hope of promise. In this study, we report the design and development of transferrin (Tf) tethered naphthalene‐diimide‐based fluorescent organic nanoparticles (NDI‐OH‐Tf) for targeted delivery of paclitaxel to cancer cells with over expressed transferrin receptors (TfR). Spherical NDI‐OH FONPs were fabricated through J‐type of aggregation of NDI‐OH amphiphiles in a 1:99 (v/v) DMSO‐H2O mixture. These NDI‐OH FONPs exhibited aggregation induced emission (AIE) at an emission wavelength of λem = 594 nm. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the NDI‐OH FONPs were conjugated with carboxyl groups of transferrin, forming NDI‐OH‐Tf FONPs. These NDI‐OH‐Tf FONPs were successfully used for targeted bioimaging and drug delivery to TfR+ cancer cells through ligand receptor interaction between transferrin and TfR. Notably, paclitaxel loaded NDI‐OH‐Tf exhibited ∼2.9‐fold higher efficacy toward TfR+ cancer cells compared to normal cells and ∼3.3‐fold higher cytotoxicity than free PTX due to transferrin mediated targeted accumulation of PTX in cancer cells.

Source: Chemistry - An Asian Journal

DOI: 10.1002/asia.202500135

Authors: Afreen Zaman, Prasanta Kumar Das

Institution: Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science

Language: English

Topic: Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Science and Engineering Research Board