Delivery Strategy of Magnetically Targeted Nanoparticles Based on Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The delivery of therapeutic cancer agents via nanomaterials has received significant attention. However, because of the absence of tumour targeting, tumour treatment strategies are still not satisfactory. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells are inherently prone to migrate to malignant sites, enabling them to deliver antitumour drugs effectively. Therefore, it is expected to be a promising tool for tumour targeting. In this study, we constructed magnetic drug-loaded nanoparticles comprised of ferroferric oxide and doxorubicin, which were ingested by umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and precisely delivered to the tumour sites. Here, we physicochemically characterized the nanoparticles for the particle size, biocompatibility and cellular uptake. The umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells migration and homing ability before and after drug loading were evaluated. The anti-cancer effect of stem cells loaded with nanoparticles was determined using MCF-7 cells. In vitro studies, the magnetic drug-loaded nanoparticles complex on tumour cells revealed that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could transport magnetic drug-loaded nanoparticles to induce robust apoptosis.