# BMV and CCMV-Based Viral Nanoparticles for Delivery of N‑Desmethyl-Tamoxifen as Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

## TL;DR

Researchers developed plant-based viral nanoparticles to deliver a cancer drug more effectively to treat triple-negative breast cancer.

## Contribution

BMV and CCMV-based viral nanoparticles were shown to deliver NDMT more effectively than free drug in treating breast cancer.

## Key findings

- BMV can load 20% more NDMT than CCMV, confirmed experimentally.
- BMV-NDMT and CCMV-NDMT showed lower IC50 and better cell viability in cancer cells.
- BMV-NDMT reduced tumor volume and metastasis in a murine breast cancer model.

## Abstract

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) based on BMV (Brome mosaic
virus) and
CCMV (Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus) were developed for targeted delivery
of N-desmethyl-tamoxifen (NDMT), an active metabolite
of tamoxifen with potent antiestrogenic activity. In silico simulations predicted that BMV could load 20% more NDMT than CCMV,
which was experimentally confirmed by fluorescence assays and physicochemical
characterization. VNPs showed efficient cell internalization in triple-negative
breast cancer cells (4T1), localizing both in the cytoplasm and the
nucleus, where NDMT exerts its therapeutic action. Cell viability
assays revealed that BMV-NDMT and CCMV-NDMT are significantly more
effective than the free NDMT, showing lower IC50 in both
cell lines. Furthermore, in a 4T1 murine breast cancer model, BMV-NDMT
reduced tumor volume by 44% and lung metastasis by 74%, demonstrating
superior antitumor and antimetastatic activities compared to controls.
These results highlight the potential of VNPs from plant viruses as
efficient and biocompatible delivery systems for breast cancer treatment,
with significantly lower doses than free drug.