School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China.
Int J Pharm. 2024 Aug 15;661:124424. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124424. Epub 2024 Jul 4.
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapy drug used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment, but its effectiveness can be dramatically dampened by cancer cell chemoresistance. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is implicated with drug resistance in a range of cancers (e.g., HCC), and the STAT3 inhibition can reverse the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In the present study, a combination regimen to improve the efficiency of DOX was provided via the STAT3 blockade using plumbagin (PLB). A poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) decorated by polyethylene glycol and aminoethyl anisamide was produced in the present study with the hope of generating the nanoparticles for co-delivery of DOX and PLB. The resulting co-formulation suppressed the STAT3 activity and achieved the synergistic chemotherapy, which led to tumor inhibition in the mice with subcutaneous DOX-resistant HCC, without causing any toxicity. The present study reveals the synergism of DOX and PLB, and demonstrates a promising combinatorial approach for treating HCC.
多柔比星(DOX)是一种用于治疗肝细胞癌(HCC)的化疗药物,但癌细胞的化疗耐药性会显著降低其疗效。信号转导子和转录激活子 3(STAT3)与多种癌症(如 HCC)的耐药性有关,抑制 STAT3 可以逆转癌细胞对化疗药物的耐药性。在本研究中,通过使用白花丹醌(PLB)阻断 STAT3,提供了一种改善 DOX 效率的联合方案。本研究制备了一种由聚乙二醇和氨乙基异丁酰胺修饰的聚乳酸-共-羟基乙酸共聚物,希望生成载多柔比星和白花丹醌的纳米粒。所得共载体制剂抑制了 STAT3 的活性,并实现了协同化疗,从而抑制了荷多柔比星耐药性 HCC 小鼠的肿瘤生长,且无任何毒性。本研究揭示了 DOX 和 PLB 的协同作用,并为治疗 HCC 提供了一种有前景的联合治疗方法。