Co-delivery of doxorubicin and interleukin-2 via chitosan based nanoparticles for enhanced antitumor efficacy.

Abstract

Combined administration of doxorubicin (DOX) and recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) has been utilized for the treatment of tumors. However the traditional administration brought to severe side effects, and the efficiency of current delivery systems were unsatisfactory. Herein we developed a hydrophilic cationic polymer based nanoparticle delivery system which facilitated simultaneous and systemic co-delivery of hydrophobic DOX and water-soluble rhIL-2. This system achieved pH-sensitive release of DOX and sustained release of rhIL-2 in vitro, meanwhile, improved anti-tumor efficacy and reduced side-effect in vivo. Thus, our study provided a solution for combinational administration of DOX and rhIL-2 and could serve as an effective strategy in antitumor therapy.