Novel Metal Complex-Based Nanomaterials with Excellent Fluorescence Performance and its Treatment on Lung Cancer Cells

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers with high incidence and mortality rates. Despite improvements in survival with combined surgical and chemotherapy interventions, prognosis remains poor. Hence, the development of effective drug delivery systems is crucial for improving the survival of lung cancer patients. In this study, we synthesized two novel coordination polymers (CP1 and CP2), using a simple method, and their structures were confirmed by single-crystal diffraction. Both CPs exhibited strong fluorescence. To enhance the biocompatibility of CP1 as a drug carrier, we encapsulated CP1 loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) in a pH- and temperature-sensitive nanohydrogel, nanofibrillated cellulose grafted (NFC-g)-(acrylic acid/acrylamide) [NFC-g-(AA/AM)], to form NFC-g-(AA/AM)-CP1@PTX. Characterization results revealed excellent responsiveness of this material to changes in temperature and pH, releasing more drug under higher temperatures and alkaline conditions. Through testing on the non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549, we found that NFC-g-(AA/AM)-CP1@PTX significantly reduced the invasive ability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner and downregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), demonstrating anti-proliferative activity. These findings indicate the potential therapeutic value of NFC-g-(AA/AM)-CP1@PTX in lung cancer treatment.