Forough Alemi
1,2 
, Masomeh Maleki
2, Mostafa Mir
3, Abbas Ebrahimi-Kalan
4, Mojtaba Zarei
5,6, Bahman Yousefi
1,6* , Nadereh Rashtchizadeh
1,7* 1 Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
4 Department of Neurosciences and cognition, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6 Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
7 Connective Tissue Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most common drugs in cancer treatment. However, its partial solubility along with the high incidence of side effects remains a challenge to tackle. To address these issues, we designed a formulation based on graphene oxide (GO) and used it as an anticancer drug delivery system.
Methods: The physical and chemical properties of the formulation were studied using FTIR, SEM, EDX, Mapping, and XRD. Release studies in the in vitro condition were used to evaluate the pH sensitivity of drug release from nanocarriers. Other in vitro studies, including uptake assay, MTT, and apoptosis assay were carried out on the osteosarcoma cell line.
Results: In vitro release studies confirmed that the synthesized formulation provides a better payload release profile in acidic conditions, which is usually the case in the tumor site. On the OS cell line, the cytotoxicity of the DOX-loaded nanocarrier (IC50=0.293 μg/mL) and early apoptosis rate (33.80 % ) were higher in comparison to free DOX (IC50=0.472 μg/mL, and early apoptosis rate= 8.31 % ) after 48 hours. Conclusion: In summary, our results suggest a DOX-loaded graphene oxide carrier as a potential platform for targeting cancer cells.