Doxorubicin- and cisplatin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for breast cancer combination chemotherapy

Context: Combination anticancer therapy is promising to generate synergistic anticancer effects, to maximize the treatment effect and to overcome multi-drug resistance. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), composed of solid and liquid lipids, and surfactants are potentially good colloidal drug carriers.

Objective: The aim of this study is to construct novel NLCs as nanocarriers for co-delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) and cisplatin (CDDP) to treat breast cancer.

Methods: DOX and CDDP loaded NLCs (D–C-NLCs) were prepared by the solvent diffusion method. The in vitro cytotoxicity and synergistic studies of different formulations were evaluated on human breast cancer cells (doxorubicin resistant) (MCF-7/ADR cells). In vivo anti-tumor effects were observed on the murine bearing MCF-7/ADR cells model.

Results: D–C-NLCs showed the highest cytotoxicity and synergistic effect of two drugs in tumor cells in vitro. The in vivo study revealed the greatest anti-tumor activity than the other formulations in the breast cancer model.

Conclusion: The constructed NLCs could be used as a novel carrier for co-delivery of DOX and CDDP for breast cancer therapy. D–C-NLCs could be a promising targeted and combinational therapy nanomedicine.