Folic Acid-Conjugated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and MicroRNA-128-3p Combined with Adriamycin Alleviates the Progression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still a threat to people worldwide. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of folic acid (FA) and Adriamycin on NSCLC. Our work modified Adriamycin with microRNA (miR)-128-3p-loaded FA-mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) (Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA) or with Adriamycin/miR/MSN. The synthesized nanoparticles’ in vitro drug release and hydrodynamic characteristics were detected. Then Adriamycin and nanoparticles were applied to treat NSCLC cells followed by analysis of cell proliferation by MTT, cytometry and clone formation assay, apoptosis-related proteins by Western blot, and in vitro absorption by Rhodamine B staining. Animal model was set up to detect in vivo impact of nanoparticles. Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA nanoparticles released Adriamycin in a controlled manner, inhibited colony formation and cell proliferation. Besides, nanoparticles promoted cell apoptosis and upregulated cleaved Caspase-3 and PARP. Moreover, Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA significantly aggregated in tumor with high concentration of Adriamycin, thereby inhibiting NSCLC tumor progression with low toxicity and side effects. Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA nanoparticles could effectively inhibit the progression of NSCLC with low toxicity and side effects.