Synergistic breast tumor cell killing achieved by intracellular co-delivery of doxorubicin and disulfiram via core-shell-corona nanoparticles

Biomater Sci. 2018 Jun 25;6(7):1869-1881. doi: 10.1039/c8bm00271a.

Abstract

Combination therapy with different functional chemotherapeutic agents based on nano-drug delivery systems is an effective strategy for the treatment of breast cancer. However, co-delivery of drug molecules with different physicochemical properties still remains a challenge. In this study, an amphiphilic poly (ε-caprolactone)-b-poly (l-glutamic acid)-g-methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (PCL-b-PGlu-g-mPEG) copolymer was designed and synthesized to develop a nanocarrier for the co-delivery of hydrophilic doxorubicin (DOX) and hydrophobic disulfiram (DSF). The amphiphilic copolymer self-assembled into core-shell-corona structured nanoparticles with the hydrophobic PCL core for DSF loading (hydrophobic interaction) and anionic poly (glutamic acid) shell for DOX loading (electrostatic interaction). DSF and DOX co-loaded nanoparticles (Co-NPs) resulted in high drug loading and precisely controlled DSF/DOX ratio via formulation optimization. Compared with free drug solutions, DSF and DOX delivered by the Co-NPs were found to have improved intracellular accumulation. Results of cytotoxicity assays showed that DSF/DOX delivered at the weight ratio of 0.5 and 1 could achieve a synergistic cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). In vivo imaging confirmed that the core-shell-corona nanoparticles could efficiently accumulate in tumors. In vivo anti-tumor effect results indicated that Co-NPs showed an improved drug synergistic effect on antitumor activity compared with the free drug combination. Therefore, it can be concluded that core-shell-corona nanoparticles prepared by PCL-b-PGlu-g-mPEG could be a promising co-delivery system for drug combination therapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • COS Cells
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Disulfiram / chemistry
  • Disulfiram / pharmacology*
  • Doxorubicin / chemistry
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Drug Carriers*
  • Drug Compounding
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Nanoparticles / administration & dosage
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Polyesters / chemistry
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polyglutamic Acid / chemistry
  • Static Electricity
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Drug Carriers
  • Polyesters
  • methoxy poly(ethylene glycol-co-epsilon-caprolactone)
  • Polyglutamic Acid
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Doxorubicin
  • Disulfiram