We report an advanced
drug delivery platform for
combination chemotherapy by concurrently incorporating two different drugs into microcompoistes with ratiometric control over the loading degree.
Atorvastatin and
celecoxib were selected as model drugs due to their different physicochemical properties and synergetic effect on
colorectal cancer prevention and inhibition. To be effective in
colorectal cancer prevention and inhibition, the produced microcomposite contained
hypromellose acetate succinate, which is insoluble in acidic conditions but highly dissolving at neutral or alkaline pH conditions. Taking advantage of the large pore volume of porous
silicon (PSi),
atorvastatin was firstly loaded into the PSi matrix, and then encapsulated into the pH-responsive
polymer microparticles containing
celecoxib by microfluidics in order to obtain multi-
drug loaded
polymer/PSi microcomposites. The prepared microcomposites showed monodisperse size distribution, multistage pH-response, precise ratiometric controlled loading degree towards the simultaneously loaded
drug molecules, and tailored release kinetics of the loaded cargos. This attractive microcomposite platform protects the payloads from being released at low pH-values, and enhances their release at higher pH-values, which can be further used for
colon cancer prevention and treatment. Overall, the pH-responsive
polymer/PSi-based microcomposite can be used as a universal platform for the delivery of different
drug molecules for combination
therapy.