The lenalidomide derivative loaded and quercetin modified MIL-100 based novel drug delivery system for breast cancer treatment

Lenalidomide (L0) is an immunomodulatory agent with a range of effects, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity, and is commonly utilized in treating multiple myeloma. A derivative of lenalidomide (L1) has been synthesized to enhance its effects and to target different cancer cell types. In this study, the lenalidomide derivative L1, with the chemical structure 1-[2-(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)-1-oxoisoindolin-4-yl]-3-(p-tolyl)urea, was loaded onto a novel drug delivery system (DDS), and its activity was assessed towards triple-negative breast cancer cell lines (TNBC). MIL-100, a subclass of metal-organic framework (MOF) structures, was synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. MIL-100 was modified with quercetin (QC) as a linker, and its drug loading capacity was optimized, achieving a 95.18 % encapsulation efficiency. Additionally, the antioxidant properties of QC contributed to enhancing the performance of the DDS. In vitro drug release studies of the final product, MIL-100@QC@L1, were successfully conducted. The cytotoxic influences of the formulation on MDA-MB-231 cells were assessed using the WST-1 assay. After treatment with 10 μg/mL of MIL-100@QC@L1 for 24 h, the cell viability decreased significantly to 47.8 %, showing superior results compared to treatments with L0 and L1 alone.