Overcoming Drug Resistance in Breast Cancer Using Quercetin Nanodrugs

Background & Objective: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Treatment methods for this disease have been with poor results. In recent years, more attention has been paid to stem cells due to their cytotoxic properties. According to previous results, the effect of nanoquercetin on breast cancer cells in this study was used concomitantly with doxorubicin, which is a chemotherapy drug and in some patients has therapeutic resistance. Materials & Methods: The above study was performed on MCF۷ and BT۴۷۴ human breast cancer cells. Quercetin was synthesized, then different concentrations of ۱۰, ۲۰, ۴۰, ۸۰ and ۱۶۰ of quercetin and ۱, ۲.۵, ۵ and ۱۰ μg/ml of doxorubicin were prepared and two cell lines were treated for ۲۴ h. MTT test was used to determine cell viability and flow cytometry test was used to determine the extent of apoptosis in both cell lines. Results: The results showed that MCF۷ and BT۴۷۴ cells that were affected by quercetin and doxorubicin, increasing the concentration of quercetin and doxorubicin decreased the survival of both cell lines within ۲۴ h. The LC۵۰ concentration was calculated for both cells treated with nanoquercetin ۴۰ μg/ml and for doxorubicin doxorubicin (۰.۱ mg/ml). The results also showed that in both cell lines, an increase in cellular apoptosis occurred after incubation with quercetin and then incubation with doxorubicin. Conclusion: Comparison of doxorubicin (DOX), quercetin (QU) and quercetin and doxorubicin (QU-DOX) groups with controls shows that with the presence of quercetin-doxorubicin, it had a greater inhibitory effect on cancer cells.

Keywords:

Quercetin , Doxorubicin , MCF-۷ , BT۴۷۴ , Breast Cancer