Precise nano-system-based drug delivery and synergistic therapy against androgen receptor-positive triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract

Targeting androgen receptor (AR) has shown great therapeutic potential in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet its efficacy remains unsatisfactory. Here, we aimed to identify promising targeted agents that synergize with enzalutamide, a second-generation AR inhibitor, in TNBC. By using a strategy for screening drug combinations based on the Sensitivity Index (SI), we found that MK-8776, a selective checkpoint kinase1 (CHK1) inhibitor, showed favorable synergism with enzalutamide in AR-positive TNBC. The combination of enzalutamide and MK-8776 was found to exert more significant anti-tumor effects in TNBC than the single application of enzalutamide or MK-8776, respectively. Furthermore, a nanoparticle-based on hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified hollow-manganese dioxide (HMnO2), named HMnE&M@H, was established to encapsulate and deliver enzalutamide and MK-8776. This HA-modified nanosystem managed targeted activation via pH/glutathione responsiveness. HMnE&M@H repressed tumor growth more obviously than the simple addition of enzalutamide and MK-8776 without a carrier. Collectively, our study elucidated the synergy of enzalutamide and MK-8776 in TNBC and developed a novel tumor-targeted nano drug delivery system HMnE&M@H, providing a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of TNBC.

Keywords

• Triple-negative breast cancer
• Androgen receptor
• Checkpoint kinase 1
• Enzalutamide
• MK-8776
• Synergy