Sterically stabilized spongosomes for multidrug delivery of anticancer nanomedicines

Multidrug delivery devices are designed to take advantage of the synergistic effects of anticancer agents in combination therapies. Here we report novel liquid crystalline self-assembled nanocarriers enhancing the activity of the phytochemical anticancer agent baicalin (BAI) in combination with Brucea javanica oil (BJO), which ensures safe formulations for clinical applications. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) evidenced the multicompartment, sponge-type nano-organization of the blank and multidrug-loaded liquid crystalline carriers. Physico-chemical stability of the sponge nanoparticles was achieved through PEGylation of the lipid membranes, which make up the drug nanocarriers. The proposed green nanotechnology for nanocarrier preparation by supramolecular self-assembly provided a multidrug encapsulation efficiency as high as 75%. The apoptosis study with the human lung carcinoma cell line A549 demonstrated improved efficacy of the multidrug delivery nanocarriers in comparison to the single-drug reservoirs. The obtained results evidenced the synergistic anticancer apoptotic effects of the multidrug-loaded nanosponge carriers and suggested the opportunity for in vivo translation towards the treatment of lung, gastrointestinal, and ovarian cancers.