Animal protein-plant protein composite nanospheres for dual-drug loading and synergistic cancer therapy.

Abstract

The co-delivery of multiple drugs using one drug carrier is a viable strategy to optimize drug dosage and reduce the side effects in chemotherapy. Herein, a hydrophilic animal protein (silk fibroin) and a hydrophobic plant protein (zein) were selected for preparing a composite drug carrier. Adapting our previously developed method for the preparation of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) nanospheres, we prepared RSF/zein nanospheres that displayed an interesting structure including a single central hole. The particle size of the RSF/zein nanospheres was regulated from 150 to 460 nm by varying the preparation conditions, implying that such a drug carrier is suitable for both intravenous administration and lymphatic chemotherapy. Two anti-cancer drugs with different target sites, paclitaxel (PTX) and curcumin (CUR), were selected for the preparation of dual-drug-loaded CUR/PTX@RSF/zein nanospheres. Both drugs achieved a high loading capacity in the RSF/zein nanospheres, i.e., 8.2% for PTX and 12.1% for CUR. Subsequently, the encapsulated PTX and CUR were released from the RSF/zein nanospheres in a sustained manner for at least 7 days. Importantly, these dual-drug-loaded RSF/zein nanospheres exhibited a considerable synergistic therapeutic effect, showing more efficient suppression of in vitro cancer cell growth than free PTX or CUR, a combination of free PTX and CUR, or single-drug-loaded nanospheres. Therefore, the CUR/PTX@RSF/zein nanospheres developed in this study hold great potential for combination chemotherapy in future clinical applications.

• Authors: Minqi Lu, Mi Wu, Yufang Huang, Jinrong Yao, Zhengzhong Shao, Xin Chen
• Journal: Journal of materials chemistry. B (J Mater Chem B) Vol. 10 Issue 20 Pg. 3798-3807 (05 25 2022) ISSN: 2050-7518 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 35416829 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Drug Carriers
• Plant Proteins
• Fibroins
• Zein
• Curcumin
• Paclitaxel

Topics

• Animals
• Curcumin (chemistry)
• Drug Carriers
• Fibroins
• Nanospheres (chemistry)
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Paclitaxel (chemistry)
• Plant Proteins
• Zein (chemistry)