{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T03:52:34Z","timestamp":1781495554322,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]],"date-time":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781222400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation","award":["BG16RFPR002-1.009-0003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BG16RFPR002-1.009-0003"]}]},{"name":"ABC-BIO-CAR"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(\u03b5-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) copolymer micelles have emerged as promising drug delivery systems for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble benzimidazole drugs. In this study, we prepared and characterized PEG-b-PCL micelles to encapsulate poorly water-soluble anthelmintics such as albendazole (ABZ) and fenbendazole (FBZ), with a focus on comparing their encapsulation behaviour, release profiles, and biological activity in cancer therapy. Drug-loaded micelles were analysed using dynamic light scattering (DLS), which revealed uniform nanosized micelles with a narrow polydispersity index (PDI). The morphology and size of both empty and drug-loaded micelles were examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confirming that the micelles were spherical and consistent in size. Both drugs were efficiently encapsulated within the micellar core, demonstrating a high loading capacity. The release profiles of PEG-b-PCL micelles containing albendazole (ABZ) and fenbendazole (FBZ) at pH 7.4 were also evaluated. FBZ exhibited slower release kinetics compared to ABZ, likely due to its higher lipophilicity and stronger interactions with the hydrophobic PCL core, resulting in enhanced retention within the micelles. In contrast, ABZ had faster release kinetics. Finally, the in vitro MTT assays performed on the highly invasive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line revealed the potential of these micelles as effective drug delivery systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31122070","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T03:01:27Z","timestamp":1781492487000},"page":"2070","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["PEG-b-PCL Micelles as Nanocarriers for Poorly Soluble Benzimidazoles: A Comparative Study of Albendazole and Fenbendazole"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2096-7257","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rayna","family":"Bryaskova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridsky Str., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gergana","family":"Krumova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridsky Str., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5236-0567","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kameliya","family":"Anichina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Organic Synthesis, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridsky Str., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Damyan","family":"Ganchev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Machine Elements and Non-Metal Constructions, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3526-9375","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teodor","family":"Todorov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6659-2588","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rumiana","family":"Tzoneva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"7","article-title":"Cancer Statistics, 2021","volume":"71","author":"Siegel","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. Clin."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151075","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejcb.2020.151075","article-title":"Microtubule-targeting agents and their impact on cancer treatment","volume":"99","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. 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