Liquid-crystalline nanoparticles as a new drug delivery system for administration of CUR: potential application for cervical cancer therapy

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the gynecological tumor that causes most deaths in the world among women, representing a major public health problem. There are a number of factors contributing to the development of cervical cancer but in most cases is caused by persistent HPV infections. Conventional treatments, such as gynecological surgery, radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy, are restricted and have several side effects, impacting negatively on patients' quality of life. Considering this scenario, it is extremely important to research new bioactive molecules for use in antitumor treatment, such as curcumin (CUR) which proved to be an innovative and effective alternative. However, the therapeutic use of this drug faces many challenges, mainly due to its physicochemical characteristics and low bioavailability. Therefore, it is necessary to develop clinically adequate and safe drug delivery systems to enable the use of this drug, such as lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) that can improve the permeation of the drugs and control their release in addition to decreasing systemic toxicity. In this context, this project aims to develop and characterize LCNPs during the research stage at ETH Zurich. (AU)