Cancer cell membrane-coated nanogels as a redox/pH dual-responsive drug carrier for tumor-targeted therapy.

Abstract

Nanocarriers have shown great advantages in increasing the efficiency of drug delivery and reducing drug side effects. However, their lack of targeting and on-demand drug release abilities will seriously limit their clinical application. Herein, we report tumor cell membrane coated nanogels (NGs) with redox/pH dual-responsive behavior for enhanced tumor chemotherapy. The cell membrane coating improves the tumor targeting efficiency, and stimuli-responsive drug release enhances the therapeutic effects. These NGs are well dispersed in PBS with an average size of 109.1 ± 5.2 nm and a narrow polydispersity index of 0.12. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that these NGs can responsively release the therapeutic drug DOX under acidic conditions or high GSH concentrations and effectively inhibit tumor growth. Based on the results, this nanogel shows promise as a platform for tumor-targeted chemotherapy for future clinical translation.