Versatile hydrogel drug carrier loading with peptide-carbon dots conjugates for efficient targeting and synergistic suppression of breast cancer cell

ABSTRACT Breast cancer become the most prevalent malignancy and is rising up to the first leading cause of cancer-related mortality among the female people globally. Approaches for safe, specific targeting and efficient inhibition of breast cancer cells, are urgently demanded for lifting the survival rate of breast tumor-bearing patients. Herein, a versatile hydrogel drug carrier consisting of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded hydrogel microsphere and carbon dots (CDs)-loaded peptide nanowires (DOX@PEG/PNFs-CDs) was constructed, presenting specific targeting and synergistic anti-cancer cell potencies. The hydrogel PEG microspheres with a rich porous structure benefited the drug loading efficiency, demonstrating good biodegradability and higher drug release efficiency at acidic environment. Benefiting from the RGD group of the peptide nanowires, the drug-loaded system specific targeted onto the MDA-MB-231 cells, subsequently promoting the synergistic inhibition of the cancer cell growth by DOX and metformin derived CDs. This all-in-one smart drug carrier post a promising strategy for breast cancer treatment.