DEVELOPMENT AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CHITOSAN/ALGINATE NANOPARTICLES FOR KP10 PEPTIDE ENCAPSULATION

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Unfortunately, conventional therapies hold significant limitations, including poor selectivity, systemic side effects, and the development of acquired resistance. Kisspeptin-10 (KP10)—a 10-amino acid peptide derived from the KISS1 gene has demonstrated anticancer activity mediated by its interaction with the G protein-coupled receptor KISS1R. Nevertheless, KP10 exhibits a markedly short half-life within the systemic circulation consistent with the characteristic pharmacokinetic profile of most endogenous peptides.

To overcome this limitation, we engineered a biophysical nanocarrier system through a combination of ionotropic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation. The polymer matrix was formed by balancing the electrical charges between a polycation (chitosan) and a polyanion (sodium alginate). By systematically adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of positive and negative charges, we were able to precisely control the physicochemical properties of the resulting nanoparticles.

This electrostatic control yielded two distinct formulations: one exhibiting an average zeta potential of ~37 mV with an average size of ~450 nm, and another with an average zeta potential of ~-39 mV and an average size of ~300 nm. Both formulations demonstrated robust structural integrity, maintaining a narrow polydispersity index (PDI of 0.18). Furthermore, colloidal stability assays confirmed that the nanoparticles remain stable over time under physiological conditions, including high salt concentrations (100 mM) and varying pH environments. Furthermore, ongoing data analysis aims to determine the encapsulation efficiency and optimize the formulation, which is expected to provide robust protection for KP10 against enzymatic degradation.

Future work will include in vitro release essays to evaluate the release kinetics. Furthermore, cell viability and migration assays will be conducted on breast cancer cell lines to determine the therapeutic efficacy of the encapsulated peptide and its potential to inhibit metastasis. Together, these studies will provide a deeper understanding of the nanocarrier's behavior in physiological media and validate the viability of this targeted delivery system for breast cancer therapy.