Folic acid (FA)-functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3 hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanoparticles were prepared to enhance the delivery efficiency of the anticancer drug etoposide for the clinical treatment of osteosarcoma. | Turkish Journal of Biology Turk J Biol (2017) 41: 719-733 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Targeted delivery of etoposide to osteosarcoma cells using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanoparticles 1 1,2 1 3 1, Esma ALP , Tamer ÇIRAK , Murat DEMİRBİLEK , Mustafa TÜRK , Eylem GÜVEN * 1 Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine Division, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey 2 Alternative Energy Sources Division, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey 3 Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: Folic acid (FA)-functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanoparticles were prepared to enhance the delivery efficiency of the anticancer drug etoposide for the clinical treatment of osteosarcoma. PHBV nanoparticles were synthesized by emulsification/solvent evaporation technique and obtained in the size range of 200–250 nm and zeta potential range of –21 and –27 mV. Encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release were studied. The cytotoxic, apoptotic, and necrotic effects of PHBV nanoparticles were also investigated using Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that etoposideloaded and FA-functionalized PHBV nanoparticles can be successfully used for targeted treatment of osteosarcoma. Key words: PHBV nanoparticle, folate targeting, etoposide, targeted drug delivery, osteosarcoma 1. Introduction Osteosarcoma (OS), or osteogenic sarcoma, is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents, accounting for 5% of all pediatric malignancies. It is a high-grade neoplasm with rapid growth and early metastasis, which typically is pulmonary. Current major OS therapy options include combinations of surgery and chemotherapy. Various chemotherapeutic .
