Development of gelatin microsphere encapsulated Cu-based metal-organic framework nanohybrid for the methotrexate delivery

Abstract The purpose of the study is to the effective approach for the development of methotrexate (MTX) loaded as an anticancer drug into Cu-based metal-organic framework nanohybrid (Cu-MOF/MTX) inserted in pH-sensitive gelatin microsphere biopolymer (Cu-MOF/MTX@GM). MTX was loaded into two-dimensional tunnels and the empty face-centered cubic lattice of Cu-MOF porous. The developed Cu-MOF/MTX@GM was characterized using FTIR, SEM, and XRD analysis. In vitro drug release was demonstrated through the comparison of the simulated physiological conditions and tumor tissue environment for illustrating the MTX release ability of the obtained novel microspheres. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the MTX-loaded Cu-MOF @GM is examined by MTT assay using the human breast epithelial adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines, and the results revealed that the carrier was suitable as an anticancer drug targeting. According to the obtained results, the developed carrier has promising qualities as an excellent candidate for target delivery of MTX to cancer tissues.