Exploratory study on the effects of biodegradable nanoparticles with drugs on malignant B cells and on a human/mouse model of Burkitt lymphoma

The aim of this study was to determine if Rituximab coated Biodegradable Nanoparticles (BNPs) loaded with Chlorambucil and Hydroxychloroquine could induce apoptosis of B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (B-CLL), MEC-1 and BJAB cells in vitro and evaluate their toxic and therapeutic effects on a Human/Mouse Model of Burkitt Lymphoma at an exploratory, proof of concept scale. We found that Rituximab-Chlorambucil-Hydroxychloroquine BNPs induce a decrease in cell viability of malignant B cells in a dose-dependent manner. The mediated cytotoxicity resulted from apoptosis, and was confirmed by monitoring the B-CLL cells after Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. Additional data revealed that these BNPs were non toxic for healthy animals, and had prolonged survival in this mice model of human lymphoma.