Evaluación del efecto antiproliferativo de la cefalexina cargada en nanopartículas de quitosano sobre células de cáncer de próstata

Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among men worldwide, driving the search for more effective and less toxic therapeutic alternatives than conventional treatments. In this context, the present study evaluated the antiproliferative effect of cefalexin, a β-lactam antibiotic with emerging anticancer potential, nanoencapsulated in chitosan for its application in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. The nanoparticles were prepared through ionic gelation with tripolyphosphate, resulting in a stable and homogeneous nanostructured system. FT-IR characterization confirmed the drug encapsulation by the modification of characteristic bands, while encapsulation efficiency and drug content demonstrated that the system retains a significant amount of cefalexin. SEM microscopy revealed spherical nanoparticles with a uniform surface, reaffirming the quality of the nanocarrier. In biological assays, free cefalexin showed antiproliferative capacity dependent on concentration and time; however, its nanoencapsulated version achieved a significantly greater cytotoxic effect. Cells treated with nanoparticles showed a notable reduction in viability, along with morphological alterations characteristic of apoptosis and necrosis, confirming better internalization and effective drug release. Higher concentrations caused severe cellular damage, demonstrating that the cefalexin-chitosan combination enhances anticancer activity against the PC-3 cell line. These results demonstrate that the nanoencapsulation of cefalexin in chitosan substantially improves its antiproliferative activity, positioning this system as a promising candidate in the fields of drug repositioning and oncological nanomedicine.