Curcumin and Paclitaxel Co-loaded Heparin and Poloxamer P403 Hybrid Nanocarrier for Improved Synergistic Efficacy in Breast Cancer.

Abstract

Multi-drug nanosystem has been employed in several therapeutic models due to the synergistic effect of the drugs and/or bioactive compounds, which help in tumor targeting and limit the usual side effects of chemotherapy. In this research, we developed the amphiphilic Heparin-poloxamer P403 (HSP) nanogel that could load curcumin (CUR) and Paclitaxel (PTX) through the hydrophobic core of Poloxamer P403. The features of HSP nanogel were assessed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential light scattering (DLS), and critical micelle concentration (CMC). Nanogel and its dual drug-loaded platform showed high stability and spherical morphology. The drug release profile indicated fast release at pH 5.5, suggesting effective drug distribution at the tumor site. In vitro research confirms lower cytotoxicity of HSP@CUR@PTX compared to free PTX and higher inhibition effect with MCF-7 than HSP@PTX. These results support the synergism between PTX and CUR. HSP@CUR@PTX suggests a prominent strategy for achieving the synergistic effect of PTX and CUR to circumvent undesirable effects in breast cancer treatment.