Dual-targeted drug delivery system based on dopamine functionalized human serum albumin nanoparticles as a carrier for methyltestosterone drug

Objective(s): This study aims to enhance 17 a-methyltestosterone loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (MT-HSA NPs) bioavailability through a desolvation technique. Dopamine (DA) molecules were conjugated on the surface of MT-HSA NPs and have the potential to act as tiny proper ligands in a unique treatment system to cope with cancer in which drug will be transmitted to the cancer area. Herein, we used HSA as an adaptable carrier of anticancer agents for methyltestosterone transport to the tumor site via DA D1-D5 receptors. In the present study, sonication of MT-HSA solution was carried out before the desolvation procedure to increase the drug loading and entrapment efficiency. Materials and Methods: Various parameters were optimized to characterize NPs including morphology, size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, drug release profile, and entrapment efficiency. Results: Under the optimum conditions of HSA and drug (1:41), at pH 9, results demonstrate sizes of 69 nm and 82 nm for MT-HSA and MT-HSA-DA NPs respectively. For MT-HSA NPs, the polydispersity index was found to be 0.3 and the average drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 14% and 91% respectively. Anticancer activity and the release of drug was investigated through MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Results show that targeted NPs are more effective than non-targeted NPs. Conclusion: According to these studies, the therapeutic effects against various diseases such as cancers increase through cellular targeting property of a biocompatible drug delivery system. This is the first report for methyltestosterone delivery to breast cancer cells based on HSA NPs.