Fabrication of pH responsive FU@Eu-MOF nanoscale metal organic frameworks for lung cancer therapy

Fabrication of biocompatible drug delivery systems (DDS) with enhanced permeation -retention effect and precise targeting is a major challenge in cancer therapy. The present study focused on fabrication of europium metal-organic framework (EuMOF) as pH responsive drug delivery system for sea weed polysaccharide fucoidan (FU@Eu-MOF) by one-pot synthesis method and assess its anticancer potential against lung cancer. Fabricated Eu-MOF exhibited high drug loading efficiency (22.15% by wt) and pH responsive controlled release of drug fucoidan (85.3 ± 0.02% in 48 h at pH 5.0). Material characterization revealed the formation of monodispersed uniform rod shaped structure decorated with fucoidan on the surface with average particle size of 71 ± 0.21 nm. Results of anticancer studies revealed that FU@Eu-MOF showed enhanced anticancer potential (IC 50 value 32.17 ± 0.06 μg/ml) in lung cancer cells (A549) when compared to fucoidan alone (IC 50 60.34 ± 0.03 μg/ml). Mechanism of anticancer potential revealed that FU@Eu-MOF enhanced ROS level inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage leading to apoptosis. Safety evaluation studies revealed that FU@Eu-MOF showed neither cytotoxic, nor hemolytic activity under in vitro condition. To conclude the results of the study reveals FU@Eu-MOF as promising biocompatible material for drug delivery system for lung cancer therapy and other biomedical applications. • FU@Eu-MOF was synthesized by one pot synthesis method. • FU@Eu-MOF showed high drug loading efficiency and pH triggered release kinetics. • FU@Eu-MOF exhibited potent anticancer effect against A549 cells. • FU@Eu-MOF triggered ROS level leading to mitochondrial dysfunction mediated apoptosis. • FU@Eu-MOF is neither cytotoxic nor hemolytic indicating biocompatibility.