Tailoring curcumin-loaded PLGA electrospun nanofibers for anti-cancer treatment via different delivery routes and for potential post-tumor removal implantation

Abstract

In this study, we addressed the challenge of enhancing the efficacy of curcumin (Cur) delivery for cancer treatment by developing Cur-loaded electrospun sheets (ES) fabricated from PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) with a focus on tailoring both the dosage and the physical dimensions of the delivery device to suit specific therapeutic applications. Two formulations containing 10 % and 50 % Cur by weight relative to PLGA were designed and produced. We demonstrated that both formulations maintained the amorphous structure of PLGA, where increasing the Cur concentration enhanced the sheets' wettability, tensile extensibility, and mucoadhesive properties. Comparing the drug release trends and the cytotoxicity of the Cur-loaded ES against HeLa cells (human cervical cancer) revealed that both the Cur dosage and the sheet dimensions influenced drug release kinetics and anticancer efficacy. Hence, we highlight the importance of considering specific size-dose relevance measurements when applying polymer-drug systems in solid form. For instance, when maintaining the same dose, a smaller segment of the high dose sheet is suitable for oral delivery, thanks to the higher drug content and better mucoadhesion properties. The low dosage sheet enjoying a larger surface area, could fit local applications requiring uniform static delivery, such as post-surgery recurrence inhibition dressing.

Keywords: Anticancer; Curcumin; Dose-size-application match; Drug delivery; Electrospun nanofibers; HeLa cancer cells; PLGA.