A New Copper/Iron oxides nanocomposites: A Potent New Weapon Against Malignant Melanoma.

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, having a high metastasizing propensity and an immense mortality rate. Long-term use of chemotherapeutic medicines, such as sorafenib, can lead to toxicity and/or pharmacological inefficacy. New treatments are still necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the potential cytotoxicity of three new nanocomposites of CuO and Fe2O3 mixed oxides (B1 ((CuO)0.50(Fe2O3)0.50), B2 ((Fe2O3)0.22(CuO)0.78)) and single lattice (B3, Cu0.86Fe2.14O4) against melanoma cell line (A375). XRD, SEM, EDX, and XPS analyses were conducted to confirm the crystal structure, estimate the particle size, and investigate the morphology and oxidation states of the nanoparticles. XRD spectra of B1 and B2 indicated the presence of two phases Tenorite (CuO (COD: 9016326)) and Magnetite (Fe2O3 (COD: 9009768 and 9002316)) while that of B3 showed one phase (Cuprospinel, Cu0.86Fe2.14O4). The crystallite sizes of all phases were below 24 nm. XPS study indicated the presence of copper as Cu(I) and Cu(II) and iron as Fe0/Fe+3 or Fe0/Fe+2. B2 (the most potent nanoparticle) was tested and its mechanism of action was elucidated using flow cytometry to assess its impacts on cell death mode, cell cycle arrest, and scratch assay. The three tested nanomaterials (B1, B2, and B3) demonstrated potent mean growth inhibitory activity against A375 cells. B2 was the most active nanoparticle, displaying an IC50 value of 115.2 µg/ml, and also the safest nanoparticle against Human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. B2 caused profound arrest of S-and G2/M cell cycle phases with a cell death presented as pre-G1 arrest, induced apoptotic, necrotic, and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, B2 inhibited the migration of melanoma cells. In conclusion, mixed metal oxide nanoparticles of copper and iron oxides showed promising anticancer and anti-invasive effects on melanoma cells, suggesting their potential as a feasible therapy option.