In vitro analysis of the anti-cancer activity of mitoxantrone loaded on magnetic nanoparticles.

In this study, the anti-tumor activity of mitoxantrone loaded on magnetic nanoparticles (MTMP) was examined using DU145 prostate cancer cells. Composite nanoparticles with an average size of 20 nm were prepared using a chemical co-precipitation technique. The MTMP nanoparticles were cytotoxic to DU145 cells and inhibited cell proliferation. The expression levels of apoptosis related proteins in DU145 cells, including PARP and caspase 3, were increased after MTMP treatment. In this study, the therapeutic potential of MTMP in targeted-therapy against prostate cancer was demonstrated and MTMP was more effective when coupled to drug delivery vehicle than pure mitoxantrone.