Investigation of HSA as a biocompatible coating material for arsenic trioxide nanoparticles

Abstract

The anticancer properties of arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) are accompanied by highly cytotoxic effects on normal cells. This necessitates developing modalities towards the targeted delivery of As₂O₃. Albumins, on account of their large structure and presence of several interacting groups, are ideal for encapsulating or carrying various drugs. In the present study, human serum albumin (HSA) was chosen as a coating agent to increase the biocompatibility of As₂O₃. An in situ chemical precipitation method was adopted for the synthesis of HSA-coated As₂O₃ nanoparticles (HSA-As₂O₃NPs) that were further characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). HSA-As₂O₃NPs were assessed for their biocompatibility using mouse fibroblast cells (NIH-3T3) and human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells by a time- and dose-dependent cytocompatibility MTT assay. The safety of the HSA-As₂O₃ nanoparticles was assessed using haemolysis and blood cell aggregation studies. Molecular simulation studies provided evidence of interaction between HSA and As₂O₃. Herein, we report the development of a protein-based delivery system for As₂O₃ with improved biocompatibility.