Carmustine loaded solid lipid nanoparticles preparation, characterization, and investigation of in vitro activity in brain cancer cell line

Cancer, a secondary cause of worldwide death, is a disease characterized by differentiation of division capabilities of cells and spreading to surrounding tissues. Glioblastoma is one of the central nervous system oncological diseases and constitutes 30 % of primary brain tumors. It is an invasive and aggressive brain tumor that is commonly seen in adults. Surgical intervention, radiation, and chemotherapy are among the treatment options, and in recent years the potential for treatment with immunotherapy has been investigated. As a result of the side effects of the treatment methods that are used and the low survival rates after the therapy, new treatment options such as drug delivery systems were needed. In this study, the synthesis and characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles containing carmustine which is the anti-cancer agent used in the treatment of glioblastoma were investigated. In order to the passage of nanoparticles through the blood-brain barrier, stearylamine / β-Hydroxybutyrate conjugate has been synthesized to allow interaction of the MCT-1 receptor in brain endothelial cells. Furthermore, during the synthesis of the nanostructure, the surfaces of solid lipid nanoparticles were coated with Tween 80, which is known to help pass through the blood-brain barrier. The optimum amount of drug for solid lipid nanoparticles containing carmustine was 0.1 mg/ml. The size of the nanostructures was measured by zeta size measurement device and SEM analysis, also zeta potential analysis was performed. The characterized solid lipid nanoparticles on the U87-MG-luc cells, as a result of the cytotoxicity of the 48th and 72th hour IC50 value were respectively determined 353,4 and 442,3 µg/ml. As a result of conducted studies, solid lipid nanoparticles containing carmustine are thought to have effective cytotoxic potential on the brain cancer cell line.