Background:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia among adults with the recommend therapy of combination of cytarabine and idarubicin in the induction phase. The uncoordinated pharmacokinetics prevent adequate control of drug ratio following systemic administration. Therefore, the dual-loaded liposomes containing cytarabine and idarubicin for synergistic effects were proposed and investigated.Methods:The molar ratio of cytarabine and idarubicin for synergistic effects was investigated. The dual-loaded liposomes were prepared and characterized by particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, cryo-Transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and in vitro stability. The in vitro cytotoxicity and cell uptake of liposomes were determined within CCRF-CEM cells. The PK experiments was carried out in male SD rats. The in vivo antitumor effect was carried out within CD-1 nude female mice. The antitumor mechanism of liposomes was investigated.Results:The synergistic molar ratios were found to be in the range of 20:1~40:1. The size distribution of the dual-loaded liposomes was approximately 100 nm with PDI ≤ 0.1, a zeta potential of approximately −30 mV, an entrapment efficiency of cytarabine and idarubicin of >95% with spherical structure and uniform distribution, and in vitro stability for 21 d. The drugs in the liposomes can be quickly uptaken by the leukemia cells. The PK experiments showed that the molar ratio of cytarabine to idarubicin in plasma was maintained at 30:1 within 4 h. The efficacy of liposomes was significantly enhanced. Conclusions: The dual-loaded liposomes containing cytarabine and idarubicin showed enhanced antitumor efficacy.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major public health threat due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), the primary treatment for intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), commonly utilizes embolic agents loaded with anthracycline-based cytotoxic drugs. Post-TACE, the hypoxic microenvironment in the tumor induced by embolization stimulates the formation of new blood vessels, potentially leading to revascularization and diminishing TACE's efficacy. In clinical practice, combined therapy for liver cancer using TACE and oral targeted drugs often encounters the limitation that targeted drugs cannot efficiently reach the tumor site following TACE. We have developed chondroitin sulfate microspheres (CMs) capable of encapsulating both the cytotoxic drug idarubicin (Ida) and the vascular inhibitor Lenvatinib (Len), thereby achieving a triple therapeutic effect on liver cancer: embolic starvation, drug toxicity, and efficient inhibition of neovascularization.
Danfeng Wang,Min Liu,Yushu Wu,Tianxin Weng,Lu Wang,Yongfang Zhang,Yanna Zhao,Jun Han
The co-loading of chemotherapy-phototherapy (CTPT) combination drugs by aptamer-targeted DNA nanostructures has significant advantages in improving anticancer effects and overcoming the multidrug resistance of cancer cells. The different binding modes of drugs to DNA nanostructures may impact CTPT therapy. Here, the anti-drug resistance effects of idarubicin (IDA) or acridine orange (AO) as single drug, as well as IDA/mithramycin (MTR) dimers ((MTR) 2 Zn 2+ ) + AO combination drugs loaded by AS1411-tethered DNA nanotrains (AS1411NTrs), were studied. The intercalative binding mode between IDA/AO and AS1411NTrs was verified through measurements of viscosity, changes in melting temperature, and potassium iodide quenching. A series of thermodynamic parameters such as the binding constant and the number of binding sites were obtained through fluorescence spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. The high binding constants and the number of binding sites indicated that AS1411NTrs had a high loading capacity for IDA and AO. An in vitro release study showed that the release rate and release model of IDA/(MTR) 2 Zn 2+ /AO in the binary and ternary systems with or without deoxyribonuclease I were related to their binding mode and order of addition. An in vitro cytotoxicity study proved that the cytotoxicity and synergistic effects of the three drugs to human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and multidrug-resistant MCF-7/ADR cells were enhanced due to loading of AS1411NTrs. The IDA/(MTR) 2 Zn 2+ + AO combination drugs could more obviously enhance apoptosis of MCF-7/ADR cells as confirmed by cell apoptosis assays. The cell uptake study demonstrated that IDA/(MTR) 2 Zn 2+ /AO loaded by AS1411NTrs was mainly concentrated in the nucleus of MCF-7/ADR cells. This work will provide theoretical information for combination therapy of IDA/(MTR) 2 Zn 2+ and AO based on DNA nanostructures.