• Nanotechnology and gene therapy in breast cancer
  • Ali hakim Nia,1,*
    1. Islamic Azad University, Dezful Branch


  • Introduction: Breast cancer remains one of the most challenging malignancies worldwide, with therapeutic resistance to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy significantly affecting treatment outcomes. Emerging technologies have positioned nanotechnology as an advanced platform for developing targeted and low-toxicity therapies. Particularly, smart nanoparticles capable of responding to specific stimuli in the tumor microenvironment—such as low pH, hypoxia, or localized hyperthermia—exhibit remarkable potential for controlled drug and gene delivery. Concurrently, gene therapy aimed at correcting or inducing the expression of tumor suppressor genes introduces a novel strategy to combat cancer cells. The integration of smart nanotechnology and gene therapy can substantially enhance breast cancer treatment efficacy while minimizing adverse effects.
  • Methods: In this study, pH-sensitive poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, loaded with targeted nanopeptides and carrying tumor suppressor genes p53 and BAX, were designed and synthesized. These nanoparticles were engineered to selectively release the therapeutic agents in the acidic tumor microenvironment (pH ~6.5). To enhance cellular uptake by cancer cells, the nanoparticle surface was conjugated with HER2 antibodies. The synthesis process involved a two-step emulsion technique followed by chemical layer functionalization. In vitro assays were conducted on MCF-7 cells to evaluate gene expression, cell viability, apoptosis, and responsiveness to pH stimuli
  • Results: The results demonstrated that pH-sensitive nanoparticles effectively released targeted genes and nanopeptides under acidictumor-like conditions. This release led to a significant upregulation of p53 and BAX genes, inducing apoptosis in over 60% of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, HER2 antibody-coated nanoparticles enhanced cellular uptake by up to threefold. Toxicity assays revealed minimal cytotoxicity toward normal cells, indicating that this nanogene therapy system provides targeted and sustained therapeutic effects
  • Conclusion: This study presents a novel and advanced approach for breast cancer treatment by leveraging smart nanoparticles responsive to environmental stimuli, enabling efficient and targeted delivery of tumor suppressor genes. This nanogene therapy system enhances therapeutic efficacy and induces apoptosis in cancer cells while minimizing side effects and allowing for personalized treatment strategies. Future research will focus on in vivo evaluations and the development of combinational systems integrating immunotherapy and chemotherapy
  • Keywords: Nanotechnology, • Gene Therapy, • Breast Cancer, • pH-sensitive Nanoparticles, • Tumor Microenvi