Radioiodinated acemetacin loaded niosomes as a dual anticancer therapy.

A niosomal formula of acemetacin was developed to improve its tumor targeting and radio-kinetic evaluation was performed using ¹³¹ I. Niosomes were prepared by ether injection method and characterized for particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency (EE%) and in vitro drug release. Factors affecting radiolabeling with ¹³¹ I were studied and optimized. Radio-kinetic evaluation was done for ¹³¹ I-ACM optimum niosomal formula by intravenous (I.V) administration to solid tumor bearing mice and compared to I.V ¹³¹ I-ACM solution as a control. The average droplet size, zeta potential and in vitro release after 24 h for the optimum formula were 315.23 ± 5.37 nm, -9.16 ± 2.91 and 76 %, respectively. The greatest labeling yield of ¹³¹ I-ACM was 93.1 ± 1.1 %. Radio-kinetic evaluation showed a maximum tumor uptake of 5.431 %ID/g for ¹³¹ I-ACM niosomal formula and 2.601 %ID/g for ¹³¹ I-ACM solution at 60 min post I.V. injection. As a conclusion, niosomal formula increased tumor uptake of ACM by passive targeting of the nanosized niosomes. In addition, chemotherapeutic effect of ACM and radiotherapeutic effect of ¹³¹ I were successfully combined in one treatment regimen using ¹³¹ I-ACM niosomes which could be used as a hopeful dual anticancer therapy.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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