A Hybrid Nanosystem for Prostate Cancer Therapy: Codelivery of Enzalutamide and Curcumin via Selenium‐Embedded Mesoporous Silica and Chitosan Nanoparticles

TL;DR

This study develops a hybrid nanosystem combining enzalutamide and curcumin for improved prostate cancer treatment, showing enhanced drug delivery and cancer cell death.

Contribution

A novel dual-nanoparticle system for prostate cancer therapy using selenium-embedded silica and chitosan nanoparticles for co-delivery of enzalutamide and curcumin.

Findings

Selenium-embedded mesoporous silica nanoparticles achieved 76.3% enzalutamide loading efficiency.

Curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles showed 83.2% encapsulation efficiency and enhanced anticancer effects.

The combined system demonstrated pH-responsive drug release and stronger anticancer activity than free drugs.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer globally, causing ≈396,792 deaths in 2022. Early diagnosis and advanced drug delivery are vital to prevent its progression. This research leverages the anticancer properties of selenium nanoparticles and enzalutamide, a leading prostate cancer drug, by coencapsulating them within mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs). MSNPs offer advantages for drug delivery, including high surface accessibility and a tunable porous structure. The results indicated that MSNPs synthesized via solvent extraction, yielding a specific surface area of 1017.4 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.2531 cm3/g, and an average pore size of ≈10 nm, were superior to those obtained by calcination, which yielded a smaller pore size (≈3 nm). Enzalutamide was loaded into these selenium‐embedded MSNPs, achieving a drug loading efficiency of 76.3 ± 0.5%. Separately, curcumin was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles with high efficiency (83.2 ± 0.7%). The combined nanosystem enables pH‐responsive, gradual drug release that mimics the tumor microenvironment. MTT assays confirmed the drug‐loaded system exerts significantly stronger, time‐ and concentration‐dependent anticancer effects than the free drug. Furthermore, curcumin plays a vital role in enhancing anticancer efficacy and inducing apoptosis. This research demonstrates that the designed dual‐nanoparticle system is a promising candidate for targeted prostate cancer therapy.

Herein, solvent extraction was selected for cetyltrimethylammonium bromide removal and the development of optimized Se‐embedded mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which were loaded with enzalutamide. Additionally, to improve the anticancer activity of Se@MSNPs‐Enz and curcumin bioavailability, curcumin‐loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared. This pH‐sensitive, coadministered system enhances drug bioavailability and synergistically induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.© 2026 WILEY‐VCH GmbH

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