Framboidal Nanoparticles Containing a Curcumin-Phenylboronic Acid Complex with Antiangiogenic and Anticancer Activities.

Curcumin (Cur) has a wide range of bioactivities that show potential for the treatment of cancer as well as chronic diseases associated with inflammation and aging. However, the therapeutic efficacy of Cur has been hampered by its rapid degradation under physiological conditions and low aqueous solubility. To address these problems, we prepared Cur-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (CNPs), in which Cur was complexed with phenylboronic acid-containing framboidal nanoparticles (NPs), by simple mixing of Cur and NPs in an aqueous solution. CNPs showed improved chemical stability of Cur and released it in a sustained manner under physiological conditions. Furthermore, CNPs significantly enhanced the antiangiogenic and anticancer activities of Cur in chicken chorioallantoic membrane models.