Enhanced anticancer effect of newly synthesised albumin-bound Fe(III)-S-Methyl-thiosemicarbazones on breast cancer cells

Thiosemicarbazones and their analogues are of significant interest due to their antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer properties. Recent advancements in nanoparticle-based therapeutics have enabled targeted cancer cell treatment while minimizing harm to healthy cells. This study focused on encapsulating patented N(1)-R1-salicylidene-N(4)-R2-salicylidene-S-methylisothiosemicarbazone complexes into albumin nanocarriers, creating albumin-bound Fe(III)-S-methyl-thiosemicarbazone (ALB-FeTc) nanoparticles via a novel UV-C lamp-assisted method. The nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR, UV-Vis, DLS and EDX-SEM. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and HUVEC cells using an MTT assay. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the mechanism of cell death. The study demonstrated strong cytotoxicity of FeTcs against cancer cells, with enhanced effects observed for ALB-FeTcs. The ALB-FeTcs induced apoptosis selectively in cancer cells while sparing normal cells. These results suggest that ALB-FeTcs are promising candidates for breast cancer treatment. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.