Development of ellagic acid based silver doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles against Human A549 cell lines and study of their mechanism at the cellular level

Cancer arises from the abnormal growth of body cells, with everyone possessing a potential for its development. When cellular regulation fails, uncontrolled cell proliferation can occur, leading to cancer. This disease can start in any part of the body and spread to others. Normally, the body needs new cells for growth and repair, facilitated by the division of existing cells. Disruption in this process causes rapid cell growth, forming tumors. Tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), with malignant tumors capable of invading other tissues through metastasis. Lung cancer originates in the lung tissues, typically in the airway linings, and is classified into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on cellular appearance. Symptoms, including chest pain, wheezing, and weight loss, often appear only at advanced stages. Ellagic acid, an antioxidant and anticancer compound derived from fruit ellagitannins, shows antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects in animal models. Though its exact mechanisms are still being studied, ellagic acid induces apoptosis in various cancer cells and preferentially accumulates in lung tissues, indicating potential efficacy in lung cancer treatment. This study involves developing ellagic acid-based silver-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles targeting human A549 lung cancer cells, with a focus on understanding their cellular mechanisms.