Janani Indrakumar
CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute,India
Title: Molybdenum nanoplates incorporated polycaprolactone nanofibers: A potential threat to skin cancer
Biography
Biography: Janani Indrakumar
Abstract
Molybdenum, an essential trace element acts as a cofactor for various enzymes and is required for proper cellular metabolism. Here, we have developed a PCL based nanofibrous scaffold containing molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles for targeted killing of skin cancer cells. Physico-chemical characterisation of the synthesized nanoparticles and the fabricated nanofibrous scaffolds revealed the formation of orthorhombic molybdenum trioxide nanoplates and its proper encapsulation in the PCL nanofibers. MTT and AO/PI assay was performed on both melanoma and non-melanoma type cancer cells to evaluate the anticancer activity of the nanoplates and nanofibers. The results revealed that the molybdenum trioxide nanoplates and the nanofibers containing the nanoplates possess inherent capacity in selective killing of cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. In addition, JC1 dye staining employed to investigate the mitochondrial membrane integrity unravelled the possible involvement of mitochondria dependant apoptosis in cancer cells. Therefore, the prepared nanofibrous scaffold can be used to target a wide range of skin cancer types. Further investigations on the mechanisms of molybdenum oxide mediated apoptosis might open up new targets in skin cancer therapeutics.