Tailoring micellar nanocarriers for pemetrexed in breast cancer: design, fabrication and <i>in vitro</i> evaluation

<b>Aim:</b> To investigate the pemetrexed encapsulated polymeric mixed micelles (PMMs) against breast cancer treatment. <b>Methods:</b> We meticulously optimized the formulation and conducted extensive characterizations, including photon correlation spectroscopy for micellization, advanced analytical techniques and <i>in vitro</i> cell line assessments. <b>Results:</b> The PMM exhibited favorable characteristics, with a spherical morphology, hydrodynamic particle size of 19.58 ± 0.89 nm, polydispersity index of 0.245 ± 0.1, and a surface charge of -9.70 ± 0.61 mV. Encapsulation efficiency and drug payload reached 96.16 ± 0.37% and 4.5 ± 0.32%, respectively. Cytotoxicity analysis indicated superior efficacy of the PMM over the drug solution. <b>Conclusion:</b> The PMM formulation exhibited controlled release of the drug, and demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells, highlighting its therapeutic promise.