Apoptotic effects of silymarin and its nanoform in resistant breast cancer cells

Cancer is a disease with a high global incidence that involves cells losing their normal function, multiplying uncontrollably, exhibiting aggressive growth, and often resulting in death. Breast cancer, one of its types, is more commonly diagnosed in women. The goal of cancer treatment research is to target cancer cells that have lost their normal function and to identify and apply the appropriate treatment. The rapid division of cancer cells and the resistance they develop to drug doses administered shortly thereafter complicate the treatment process. Efforts to develop a more effective treatment approach are increasing. The goal in new treatment approaches is to increase the effectiveness of drugs while reducing their toxicity. New drug studies using nanoparticle synthesis are a very important method that targets only cancer cells. Studies conducted on different types of cancer using the flavonoid-rich Silymarin compound obtained from the Silybum marianum plant have yielded promising results. The aim of this study is to reduce the toxicity of the Silymarin compound used and to synthesize its solid lipid nanoparticle form, then to observe its apoptotic effects on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and drug-resistant breast cancer cell line (MCF-7/BOR) and to present the results comparatively. For this purpose, the apoptotic effect on cells will be measured using the MTT viability assay, structural changes in cells will be observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal microscopy, and the apoptotic effect will be determined using flow cytometry.