Iron oxide nanoparticles as drug delivery agents in MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cells

Oleic acid (OA)-Pluronic-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). FT-IR confirmed the bonding of oleic acid and Pluronic (surfactant) to the nanoparticles. AFM measurements on these nanoparticles indicated a root mean square (RMS) roughness, a measure of nanoparticle size of (50 +/- 20) nm. The efficiency of these functionalized nanoparticles was investigated by loading with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) in aqueous solution. AFM measurements were used to characterize modified iron oxide nanoparticles and pancreatic MIA PaCa-2 cells, including size distribution, stability and cellular uptake. Nanoparticles were added to MIA PaCa-2 cells and assayed for their cytotoxic effects after 24 and 48 hours. The outcome of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of oleic acid (OA)-Pluronic-coated iron oxide nanoparticles as a non-toxic drug delivery agent for pancreatic cancer.