Associating Graphene Oxide Derivatives to Treat Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC)

Abstract

According to estimates, there were 17,670 bladder cancer-associated deaths in the USA by 2019. Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation is used to treat non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, more than 40% of BCG administration cases fail to avoid NMIBC relapse and progression. Our aim is to use synthesized GO derivatives to enable the transport of doxorubicin (DOX), a conventional cancer drug, and siRNA to reduce VEGF. Several platforms were tested, and their effects on NMIBC progression were assessed in vivo based on histo- and immune analyses. siRNA and GO were covalently bonds to polyethyleneimine (PEI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) (GO-PEG-PEI/siRNA). DOX bond to oxidized GO was also synthesized. Hybrids were administered in vivo (rats) against NMIBC. Histopathology results have shown that hybrids have reduced bladder cancer. The GO-COOH-DOX/GO-PEG-PEI/siRNA potentiated tumor aggressiveness (60%) reduction in animals that did not show signs of lesions. Immunohistochemistry results have shown that the GO hybrid reduced VEGF expression, increased endostatin levels, and low p53 levels were observed. Data analyzed in the current study have shown that hybrid graphene oxides were capable of reducing VEGF expression and have great potential to treat NMIBC.