Curcumin-loaded nanoparticle based on poloxamer₁₈₈ for glioma treatment: Synthesis, characterization and in vitro evaluation

Glioma is the most common primary cancer of central nervous system due to its rapid proliferation and high lethality. In this study, a novel poloxamer(188)-based drug delivery system, poloxamer(188)-poly(1,4,8-trioxaspiro[4.6]undecan-9-one)-poly(1,3-dioxan-2-one) nanoparticles (P188TT NPs) were developed. The H-1 NMR, Raman and FITC spectra demonstrated that P188TT copolymer was successfully synthesized. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) measurement showed that P188TT NPs had a low CMC. The characterization and bio-safety assessment verified that P188TT NPs had the appropriate size, zeta potential, good stability, and ideal bio-safety. In addition, the curcumin-loaded P188TT NPs (Cur/P188TT NPs) were fabricated and then analyzed by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA). The in vitro release study displayed that the release rate of Cur from Cur/P188TT NPs in pH 6.8 was appreciably faster than that in pH 7.4. The tissue distribution study showed that these NPs had good brain-targeting efficiency. The cellular uptake assay suggested that P188TT NPs could promote the uptake of Cur in glioma cells. The MTT tests indicated that P188TT NPs could increase the anti-tumor activity of encapsulated drugs. Therefore, P188TT NPs showed potential as a brain targeting nano-carrier for glioma therapy, which required further validation in glioma models in vivo.