Files
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in U.S. women, excluding skin cancers, with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) having a particularly poor prognosis due to its aggressive nature and lack of major surface receptors, limiting treatment options. Recent research suggests nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems may improve treatment outcomes, potentially benefiting TNBC. This study examines using chitosan and poly(DL-lactide) nanoparticles to deliver two anti-cancer drugs to the interior of cancer cells. The first drug is tamoxifen, a well-established breast cancer therapeutic, which typically does not affect TNBC due to its reliance on surface estrogen receptors for functionality, but has the potential to inhibit nuclear estrogen receptors for a similar effect. The second drug is pectin, a natural polysaccharide with potential anti-cancer properties that are enhanced when targeting nuclear galectin-3. We investigated the effectiveness of tamoxifen- and pectin-loaded nanoparticles on breast cancer, focusing on changes in TNBC cell viability and migration.