Electrospun PCL/Fullerene Nanofibrous Scaffold for Sustained Paclitaxel Delivery and In Vitro Anticancer Evaluation in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract

Purpose: To overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy, this study aimed to develop a novel electrospun nanofibrous drug‑delivery system by integrating poly(ε‑caprolactone) (PCL) with fullerene (C₆₀) as a platform for sustained paclitaxel (PTX) delivery and in vitro anticancer evaluation. Methods: PCL‑C₆₀ and PTX‑loaded PCL‑C₆₀ (PCL‑C₆₀‑PTX) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated via electrospinning using a 13% (w/v) PCL solution containing C₆₀ (8 µg/mL). PTX (4 µg/mL) was incorporated into the drug‑loaded formulation. Physicochemical characterization was performed using SEM, FTIR, XRD, contact angle measurements, swelling, and degradation studies. Drug release was quantified in PBS (pH 7.4). Hemocompatibility was assessed using a hemolysis assay. Anticancer efficacy against MCF‑7 breast cancer cells was evaluated by MTT assay, flow cytometry (Annexin V/PI), and AO/PI staining. Results: The scaffolds exhibited uniform nanofibrous morphology. PTX loading into PCL-C₆₀ scaffolds reduced the mean fiber diameter from 312 ± 63 nm to 199 ± 98 nm and significantly decreased the water contact angle from 94.08 ± 1.94° to 87.47 ± 0.43° (p = 0.023). FT-IR and XRD analyses indicated preservation of the PCL crystalline structure after C₆₀ and PTX incorporation. Swelling and degradation profiles showed no significant differences between PCL-C₆₀ and PCL-C₆₀-PTX scaffolds (p > 0.05). The PTX-loaded scaffold exhibited biphasic drug release (18.55 ± 0.63% at 1 h and 74.36 ± 0.50% at 72 h), fitting the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R² = 0.987, n = 0.400). Both scaffold groups exhibited hemolysis rates below 5%. In MCF-7 cells, the PCL-C₆₀-PTX scaffold reduced viability to 56% at 72 h and induced apoptosis compared to untreated cells (control). Conclusion: The developed PCL-C₆₀-PTX nanofibrous scaffold exhibited sustained PTX release, acceptable hemocompatibility, and reduced viability in MCF-7 cells, supporting its potential as a localized drug-delivery platform for breast cancer studies. Further mechanistic and in vivo investigations are warranted to confirm its therapeutic applicability.

Keywords: Cancer, Drug delivery, Electrospun scaffold, Fullerene, Paclitaxel, Tissue engineering