Towards enhanced lung cancer therapy: development and evaluation of an Ag–H2Ti3O7 nanocomposite in dark and laser irradiation conditions
摘要
Lung cancer, often diagnosed late and exhibiting resistance to conventional therapies with debilitating side effects, requires innovative treatment strategies. This study presents a novel Ag–H2Ti3O7 nanocomposite proposed and applied for lung cancer therapy. Raman and FTIR analyses confirm the formation of molecular bands in the nanocomposite, while EDX determined its elemental composition. XRD reveals the nanocomposite’s crystalline nature, comprising cubic-Ag and monoclinic H2Ti3O7. FESEM and TEM imaging indicate the presence of single-wall nanotubes and spherical nanoparticles. The nanocomposite exhibits excellent thermal stability and colloidal stability (zeta potential: − 38.2 mV), with UV–Vis spectroscopy revealing absorption peaks at 247 nm (H2Ti3O7) and 522 nm (Ag). In vitro biocompatibility assessments using Vero cells demonstrate minimal toxicity up to 400 µg/mL. Subsequently, the efficacy of the nanocomposite against A549 lung cancer cells is evaluated under dark and 635 nm laser irradiation (65 and 320 J/cm2). Results indicate significant cytotoxicity of the nanocomposite towards A549 cells, even in the dark condition and after a 24-hour incubation, with cytotoxicity increasing to 73% at the nanocomposite concentration of 500 µg/mL. Red laser irradiations (65 and 320 J/cm2) are applied during treatment using the nanocomposite, and further enhance cytotoxicity to 77% is observed at a laser fluence of 320 J/cm2. The IC50 of the proposed nanocomposite against A549 lung cancer cells is 112.8 µg/mL under dark conditions, and it decreases to 61 µg/mL and 32 µg/mL under red laser irradiation at fluences of 65 and 320 J/cm2, respectively. These findings highlight the Ag–H2Ti3O7 nanocomposite as a promising therapeutic agent for lung cancer, exhibiting potent dark cytotoxicity and enhanced efficacy upon laser irradiation.