Development of a three-dimensional collagen hydrogel model incorporating laurus nobilis extract–chitosan nanoparticles against ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells

Objectives: The persistent challenges posed by ovarian cancer, marked by its high mortality rates and resistance to conventional therapies, drive a continuous search for innovative and effective treatment strategies. In the current study, laurus nobilis extract was loaded into chitosan nanoparticles to investigate its potential anti-cancer effects against SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Methods: The developed nanocarriers were loaded into a collagen hydrogel to better mimic the tumor microenvironment. In vitro studies including scanning electron microscopy, cell viability assay, cell migration assay, hemocompatibility assay, release assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, cell imaging, and anti-inflammatory assays were performed in order to characterize the three-dimensional model. Results: The study showed that our developed system reduced the viability and migratory activity of cancer cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assay suggested that anti-cancer effects of our developed system may be attributed to the downregulation of Polo-Like Kinase 1 (PLK1) and Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 (PARP1) genes. Conclusion: Our developed model may be used for studying the effects of different anti-cancer drugs on ovarian cancer cells.