Physical and Biological Evaluation of Low-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronic Acid/Fe(3)O(4) Nanoparticle for Targeting MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells

Low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) was integrated with superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4) NPs). The size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity, thermogravimetric and paramagnetic properties of the LMWHA-Fe(3)O(4) NPs were systematically examined. For cellular experiments, MCF7 breast cancer cell line was carried out. In addition, the cell targeting ability and characteristics of the LMWHA-Fe(3)O(4) NPs for MCF7 breast cancer cells were analyzed using the thiocyanate method and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The experimental results showed that the LMWHA-Fe(3)O(4) NPs were not only easily injectable due to their low viscosity, but also exhibited a significant superparamagnetic property. Furthermore, the in vitro assay results showed that the NPs had negligible cytotoxicity and exhibited a good cancer cell targeting ability. Overall, the results therefore suggest that the LMWHA-Fe(3)O(4) NPs have considerable potential as an injectable agent for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or hyperthermia treatment in breast cancer therapy.