Gel-in-water nanodispersion for potential application in intravenous delivery of anticancer drugs

Organogels are semi-solid systems that can gel organic liquids at low concentrations. The use of organogels in drug delivery has grown rapidly in the last decade owing to their fibrous microstructure and suitability for different routes of administration. The current study is characterized by nanogel dispersion (NGD) development based on emulsion technology. The efficiency of this organogel based NGD as a carrier for anticancer drugs was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. 12-Hydroxystearic acid formed an organogel with lipiodol and encapsulated the anticancer drug paclitaxel. The gel-in-water (G/W) nanodispersion was prepared via ultrasonication and stabilized by a nonionic surfactant. The results showed that the organogel enabled sustained drug release from G/W nanodispersion over time, along with enhanced cellular uptake. The prepared G/W nanodispersion was found to be biocompatible with mouse hepatocytes and fibroblast cells in vitro, whereas paclitaxel-loaded G/W nanodispersion showed cytotoxicity (p <0.05) against lung cancer (A549) cell lines. Similarly, intravenous administration of paclitaxel-loaded G/W nanodispersion exerts an anticancer effect against lung cancer in vivo, with a significant decrease in tumor volume (p <0.05). Therefore, the proposed G/W nanodispersion could be a promising carrier for chemotherapy agents with sustained drug release and better therapeutic outcomes against cancer.