# Chemosensitizer Effects of Coencapsulation of Curcumin and Cabazitaxel in Nanostructured Lipid Carriers in Glioblastoma Cells

## TL;DR

This study shows that combining curcumin and cabazitaxel in nanostructured lipid carriers improves treatment of glioblastoma by increasing drug effectiveness and reducing required doses.

## Contribution

The novel approach of coencapsulating curcumin and cabazitaxel in NLCs for glioblastoma therapy is introduced.

## Key findings

- NLCs with curcumin and cabazitaxel showed high encapsulation efficiency (>98%) and stability.
- The coencapsulated NLCs reduced the IC50 of cabazitaxel by 2.418 times and induced apoptotic cell death in U87MG cells.
- The system exhibited high cellular internalization and cytotoxic activity.

## Abstract

Gliomas are the most
common primary tumors of the central nervous
system and are associated with poor prognosis. Current therapy with
Temozolomide shows limited efficacy, highlighting the need for new
treatment options. Cabazitaxel (CBZ), a chemotherapeutic agent approved
for prostate cancer, has shown efficacy in preclinical glioblastoma
models. However, there is a need for strategies to reduce toxicity
and enhance delivery. Curcumin (CUR), known for its antitumor, anti-inflammatory,
and antioxidant properties, has been investigated as a potential chemosensitizer.
Here, we developed and characterized a nanostructured lipid carrier
(NLC) for codelivery of CBZ and CUR, evaluating its cytotoxic effect
on U87MG GBM cells. The NLCs were optimized using a Box–Behnken
design and exhibited a size below 150 nm, low polydispersity, and
stability. The NLC–CUR/CBZ showed spherical morphology and
low crystallinity that contributed to high encapsulation efficiency
of both compounds (>98%). Furthermore, this system exhibited high
cellular internalization and cytotoxic activity, reducing the IC50 by 2.418 times compared to free CBZ, and induced predominantly
apoptotic cell death. The results highlight the potential of CUR and
CBZ coencapsulation in NLCs for GBM treatment, providing a basis for
future clinical investigations.