Folic acid-conjugated magnetic carbon nanotube nanocarriers for targeted delivery of mitoxantrone

Dual or multi-targeted delivery systems are a crucial aspect of optimal cancer treatment. These systems minimize side effects while maximizing therapeutic efficiency. With this motivation, in this study, we developed a dual-targeted nanocarrier system by modifying bovine serum albumin-coated magnetic carbon nanotubes (mCNT-BSA) with folic acid (FA) to enhance both magnetic and receptor-mediated targeting. The novel carrier was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results confirmed successful FA conjugation and sufficient magnetic properties (14.7 emu g⁻¹) for external guidance. The system demonstrated a high mitoxantrone (MTO) loading capacity (120 µg mg⁻¹) and pH-sensitive release behavior, supporting drug release in acidic tumor microenvironments. In vitro cytotoxicity assays showed reduced toxicity of mCNT-BSA-FA/MTO on the MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line to free MTO. These findings suggest that mCNT-BSA-FA is a promising nanocarrier system for dual-targeted and controlled MTO delivery.