Folic acid-conjugated curcumin-loaded bioMOF-101 for breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer ranks as the primary cause of cancer-related mortality among women and stands as the fifth leading cause of cancer death overall. Biocompatible metal-organic frameworks (bioMOFs) emerge as highly attractive and promising platforms for efficient drug absorption and delivery. Thus, our objective was to develop drug delivery systems using bioMOF-101 materials, incorporating curcumin (CCM). The materials were enhanced by coating with folate molecules, facilitating targeted delivery to the tumor region. BioMOF-101 was meticulously synthesized, characterized using various techniques, and subsequently subjected to drug encapsulation tests. Remarkably, CCM@bioMOF-101-1D achieved an impressive encapsulation efficiency of 99.42%. To evaluate the impact of the MOF on cell viability, both breast tumor and normal cell lines were examined, revealing that the materials exhibited no toxicity. In vivo studies, bio-MOFs did not induce a reduction in the tumor region; however, the CCM@bioMOF-101-1D/FA caused a reduction in alveolar volume, which is indicative of its effectiveness in the model employed. In conclusion, the matrices studied herein can be considered promising alternatives for the treatment of breast cancer. [Display omitted] •BioMOF-101 was proposed as a carrier for curcumin.•The results obtained in the characterization experiments confirmed the efficient loading of curcumin on bioMOF-101.•The functionalization on bioMOF-101 with folic acid was possible.•CCM@bioMOF-101-1D and CCM@bioMOF-101-1D/FA proved to be potent as anti-breast cancer agents.