International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jun 2024)
Enhancing the Inhibition of Breast Cancer Growth Through Synergistic Modulation of the Tumor Microenvironment Using Combined Nano-Delivery Systems
Abstract
Jingliang Wu,1,* Qiao Lu,1,2,* Jialin Zhao,3,* Wendi Wu,3 Zhihua Wang,1 Guohua Yu,4 Guixiang Tian,2 Zhiqin Gao,2 Qing Wang5 1School of Medicine, Weifang University of Science and Technology, Weifang, 262700, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Oncology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Weifang, 261000, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Stomatology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Weifang, 261000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qing Wang, Department of Stomatology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Weifang, 261000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 158 6362 6389, Email [email protected]: Breast cancer is a prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, and malignancy is closely linked to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we prepared mixed nano-sized formulations composed of pH-sensitive liposomes (Ber/Ru486@CLPs) and small-sized nano-micelles (Dox@CLGs). These liposomes and nano-micelles were modified by chondroitin sulfate (CS) to selectively target breast cancer cells.Methods: Ber/Ru486@CLPs and Dox@CLGs were prepared by thin-film dispersion and ethanol injection, respectively. To mimic actual TME, the in vitro “condition medium of fibroblasts + MCF-7” cell model and in vivo “ 4T1/NIH-3T3” co-implantation mice model were established to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of drugs.Results: The physicochemical properties showed that Dox@CLGs and Ber/Ru486@CLPs were 28 nm and 100 nm in particle size, respectively. In vitro experiments showed that the mixed formulations significantly improved drug uptake and inhibited cell proliferation and migration. The in vivo anti-tumor studies further confirmed the enhanced anti-tumor capabilities of Dox@CLGs + Ber/Ru486@CLPs, including smaller tumor volumes, weak collagen deposition, and low expression levels of α-SMA and CD31 proteins, leading to a superior anti-tumor effect.Conclusion: In brief, this combination therapy based on Dox@CLGs and Ber/Ru486@CLPs could effectively inhibit tumor development, which provides a promising approach for the treatment of breast cancer.Keywords: drug delivery, cancer-associated fibroblasts, glucocorticoids, combination therapy
