Issue 4, 2022

A self-amplified ROS-responsive chemodrug–inhibitor conjugate for multi-drug resistance tumor therapy

Abstract

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) induced multidrug resistance (MDR) is the main reason for the failure of cancer chemotherapy. The combined delivery of chemodrug and P-gp inhibitor is a promising pathway to reverse MDR. However, the intrinsic stimuli in the tumor microenvironment could not realize a complete drug release, which would induce poor cancer therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we conjugated tamoxifen (TAM) with D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol1000 succinate (TPGS) based on a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive aryl boronic ester bond to construct a self-amplified ROS-responsive chemodrug–inhibitor (TPGS–TAM) co-delivery system. Due to its amphiphilic property, the TPGS–TAM conjugates could self-assemble into uniform spherical nanoparticles (NPs). After effective endocytosis by cancer cells, the intracellular ROS cleaved the aryl boronic ester bond and initiated the release of TAM and α-tocopherol succinate (α-TOS) from the NPs. Subsequently, the released α-TOS further generated ROS to facilitate the release of TAM. Moreover, α-TOS also consumed adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to impair ATP-dependent P-gp mediated drug efflux to reverse the tumor's drug resistance. As a result, the TPGS–TAM NPs enhanced the antitumor effect with a tumor inhibition rate (TIR) high up to 74.6 ± 6.1% in an MCF-7/ADR tumor model. Based on systematic in vitro and in vivo assessments, this self-amplified ROS-responsive carrier-free conjugate of chemodrug/P-gp inhibitor may shed light on the potential application for the MDR cancer therapy.

Graphical abstract: A self-amplified ROS-responsive chemodrug–inhibitor conjugate for multi-drug resistance tumor therapy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Oct 2021
Accepted
01 Jan 2022
First published
04 Jan 2022

Biomater. Sci., 2022,10, 997-1007

A self-amplified ROS-responsive chemodrug–inhibitor conjugate for multi-drug resistance tumor therapy

T. Sun, J. Xu, T. Chen, C. Tu, L. Zhu and D. Yan, Biomater. Sci., 2022, 10, 997 DOI: 10.1039/D1BM01605A

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