The
central nervous system tumors are the most common solid
tumors in adults.. Unlike other types of
cancers,
brain cancer is much difficult to treat because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that prevents
drug substances from crossing it and accessing the brain. Different types of methods to overcome BBB have been used in vivo and in vitro, of which the use of nanoparticle-mediated delivery of therapeutic drugs is particularly promising. In the present study, we used
iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) as carrier system for
helianthin (He/NPs) to treat
cancer cells derived from
glioblastoma. An early passage cell cultures (GB1B), established in our laboratory from tissue obtained from a patient diagnosed with
glioblastoma, was used. The cells were treated with different concentrations of NPs or HeNPs and then cell proliferation was measured at 24, 48 and 72 hours. Our results showed that the treatment with NPs was well tolerated by
glioblastoma cells, the viability of the cells increased very slightly after the treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrated that
helianthin loaded Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles induced cytotoxicity in human
glioblastoma cells. The treatment with HeNPs induced dose and time dependent.