Polymeric Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of Oncolytic Measles Virus for Targeted Therapy in Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Globally, cervical cancer is a leading cause of mortality in women, highlighting the need for effective treatment strategies. Oncolytic viruses (OVs), including Oncolytic Measles Virus (OMV), not only preferentially infect the cancer cells but also enhance anti-tumor immunity and safety. This paper focuses on developing polymeric OMV nanoparticles (NPs) for cervical cancer therapy. NPs with hyaluronic acid (HA) were synthesized through a green synthesis process, in a preparation with biodegradable materials. Moreover, the ionic gelation method was used to encapsulate OMV. Chitosan was cross-linked with glacial acetic acid while OMV was incorporated under stirring for better encapsulation. OMV-loaded NPs had a size of 1236 nm with a PDI of 0.972, while blank NPs had a size of 522.5 nm, indicating stability with a negative charge of -14.5 mV. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) reveal the amorphous nature and proper encapsulation of OMV NPs for targeted drug delivery. The HA-coated NPs synthesized in this study had better stability, cellular penetration, and CD44-mediated cancer therapy applications. This approach seems to offer a viable strategy to promote the clinical efficacy of OMV-based therapeutics in cervical cancer therapy.