High Therapeutic Efficiency Research Articles

COMPLEX DRUGS: TERAPEUTIC AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF USING AGAINST НELMINTHIASES IN CATTLE

The article presents the data on comparison of complex drugs efficiency for animal parasitic diseases. The use of complex drugs showed to be of high therapeutic efficiency – 97.7 – 100% against various parasitic diseases in cattle. Economic efficiency for application of complex drugs is 5.65 – 11.34 roubles per each rouble of expenses.

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ АНТИГЕЛЬМИНТНЫХ ПРЕПАРАТОВ ПРИ АСКАРИДОЗЕ СВИНЕЙ

The effective development of pig breeding depends on the conditions of keeping and feeding, improving the technological process, and the veterinary welfare of farms not only for infectious, but also invasive diseases. Various agents for the treatment and prevention of helminthic diseases have high therapeutic and economic efficiency, but they are not without drawbacks. The aim of the research was to determine the effectiveness of anthelmintic drugs in pigs ascariasis. The objectives of the research were to analyze the incidence and causes of invasive diseases of pigs; to determine the therapeutic efficacy of complex deworming and therapy of ascariasis in piglets; to determine the indicators of the average daily gain in live weight and the safety of piglets. Analyzing the data of the studies, it was found that the factors contributing to the onset of ascariasis in pigs are contaminated soil in 30% of cases, 27% - eating earthworms, 21% - irregular manure cleaning, 17% drinking milk from sick sows, 5% - ingestion of contaminated feed, water and soil. When determining the effectiveness of various anthelmintic drugs, it was found that the best therapeutic effect in the treatment of ascariasis was achieved with the use of the antiparasitic drug Ivermek 1% in combination with the probiotic Vet 1.1 and the vitamin-amino acid complex Vitam.

Tetracyclic and Pentacyclic Triterpenes with High Therapeutic Efficiency in Wound Healing Approaches.

Wounds are among the most common skin conditions, displaying a large etiological diversity and being characterized by different degrees of severity. Wound healing is a complex process that involves multiple steps such as inflammation, proliferation and maturation and ends with scar formation. Since ancient times, a widely used option for treating skin wounds are plant- based treatments which currently have become the subject of modern pharmaceutical formulations. Triterpenes with tetracyclic and pentacyclic structure are extensively studied for their implication in wound healing as well as to determine their molecular mechanisms of action. The current review aims to summarize the main results of in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies conducted on lupane, ursane, oleanane, dammarane, lanostane and cycloartane type triterpenes as potential wound healing treatments.

A Self‐Degradable Supramolecular Photosensitizer with High Photodynamic Therapeutic Efficiency and Improved Safety

AbstractConcerning that the residues of photosensitizers (PS) may cause serious side effects under light, it is of great significant to timely switch‐off PS after photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, we proposed a supramolecular strategy to regulate the activity of PS, fabricating a supramolecular PS with improved reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency and accelerated self‐degradation ability. During PDT treatment, the supramolecular PS exhibited good therapeutic efficiency as well as reduced dark toxicity. Moreover, the supramolecular PS could be degraded by ROS generated by itself and lose its PDT activities once PDT treatment finished. In this way, the side effects of PDT can be reduced without sacrificing the therapeutic efficiency. This work provides a novel strategy for smarter PDT beacon to further improve the safety of PDT treatment.

A Self-Degradable Supramolecular Photosensitizer with High Photodynamic Therapeutic Efficiency and Improved Safety.

Concerning that the residues of photosensitizers (PS) may cause serious side effects under light, it is of great significant to timely switch-off PS after photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, we proposed a supramolecular strategy to regulate the activity of PS, fabricating a supramolecular PS with improved reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency and accelerated self-degradation ability. During PDT treatment, the supramolecular PS exhibited good therapeutic efficiency as well as reduced dark toxicity. Moreover, the supramolecular PS could be degraded by ROS generated by itself and lose its PDT activities once PDT treatment finished. In this way, the side effects of PDT can be reduced without sacrificing the therapeutic efficiency. This work provides a novel strategy for smarter PDT beacon to further improve the safety of PDT treatment.

Gold nanorods conjugated upconversion nanoparticles nanocomposites for simultaneous bioimaging, local temperature sensing and photothermal therapy of OML-1 oral cancer cells

ABSTRACT The major challenge in photothermal therapy (PTT) is to develop nanocomposites that simultaneously exhibit bioimaging and PTT under a single near-infrared (NIR) irradiation with high therapeutic efficiency. Herein, we present a multifunctional nanocomposite synthesized by linking NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with gold nanorods (AuNR) to exhibit fluorescence labeling, local temperature sensing and photothermal functions simultaneously with a single NIR laser excitation. The AuNR-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanocomposite particles displayed better photothermal properties compared with pure AuNRs or a blend of AuNRs and NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNPs. The temperature-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) property was used to determine local temperature at the nanocomposite particles, which is useful for selecting appropriate irradiation dosage for PTT. The therapeutic performance of the nanocomposites in PTT for OML-1 oral cancer cells was determined. For cell labeling, we successfully labeled streptavidin-linked nanocomposite particles on the surface of OML-1 oral cancer using anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (anti-Her2) antibody. Finally, the nanocomposite particles caused exceptional destruction of cancer cells up to 70% dead cells under 976 nm laser irradiation for only one min at 0.3 W/cm2 which is below the maximal permissible exposure of human skin.

Carbon Dots Based Nanoscale Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photodynamic Therapy

AbstractCovalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted much attention for various applications, while developing COFs with biomedical functions remains a big challenge. Most COFs are built purely from organic molecules, no carbon dots (CDs)‐based COFs have been exploited to date. In this work, diamine molecules p‐phenylenediamine and BODIPY are selected as model monomers to react with aldehyde‐containing CDs and construct nanoscale COFs, named CCOF‐1 and CCOF‐2, respectively. After the modification with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), the formed CCOF‐1@PEG and CCOF‐2@PEG are stable and well‐dispersible in aqueous media. The merits of CCOF‐2@PEG containing favorable physiological stability, good biocompatibility, and strong reactive oxygen species generation ability enable it to act as an excellent photodynamic therapy (PDT) agent for tumor treatment. The high PDT therapeutic efficiency for inhibiting cell proliferation and tumor growth was well shown by in vitro and in vivo experiments. This work demonstrates a new strategy for fabricating functional COF‐based platforms for biomedical applications.

Morphological and constituent viral-mimicking self-assembled nanoparticles promote cellular uptake and improve cancer therapeutic efficiency in vivo

The delivery of nanomaterials or therapeutics into cells takes a decisive role for their applications in nanomedicine. Nature's creations such as viruses provide valued inspiration for design of nano-architectures in cellular delivery. We report herein the fabrication of biodegradable and biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs) with viral-mimicking morphology and constituents as a nanoplatform, which has rarely been reported to the best of our knowledge, for promoting cellular uptake and achieving high therapeutic efficiency in vivo. The chitosan-porphyrin-based NPs were endowed with a viral-imitating morphology through a novel pH-responsive decomposition-induced self-assembly method. By successive conjugation of Tat peptides and modification of lipids, morphological and constituent viral-mimicking NPs were obtained. Compared with the counterpart of non-viral-mimicking NPs, the viral-mimicking NPs showed prominent superiority in enhancing cell internalization (10 times higher). Loading of near-infrared photosensitizer– indocyanine green into these NPs demonstrated the striking capability of the viral-mimicking nanoparticles in therapeautic delivery and photothermal anti-tumor effect in vitro and in vivo. This concept and strategy provides an enlightening methodology on the design and fabrication of therapeutic delivery systems, which is significant for nanobiotechnology.

Morphology‐controlled Synthesis of Molybdenum Oxide with Tunable Plasmon Absorption for Phothermal Therapy of Cancer

AbstractSemiconductor nanocrystals showing surface plasmonic absorption features can be used as prospective substitutes for noble metallic nanoparticles. Herein, a creative one‐pot hydrothermal route without template is used to synthesize plasmonic oxygen deficiency molybdenum oxide (MoO3‐x) nanoparticles. The morphologies of as‐prepared MoO3‐x nanomaterials arranged from amorphous to crystalline with the reaction temperature varied from 160 °C, 180 °C to 200 °C, namely MoO3‐x quantum dots (QDs), MoO3‐x nanosheets, and MoO2 nanospheres. Simultaneously, in the near‐infrared region (NIR), MoO3‐x nanomaterials exhibit gradually enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption, of which MoO2 nanospheres exhibit intense NIR absorption with a photothermal conversion efficiency up to 72.5% under 808 nm NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the toxicity and cancer therapy efficacy of MoO2 nanospheres have been systematically assessed in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The results revealed that MoO2 nanospheres exhibit low toxicity and high therapeutic efficiency, making it an promising and effective photothermal agent in photothermal therapy

Usage of wheat germ functional products in patients with chronic gastroduodenitis and duodenal ulcers alimentary support at the sanatorium resort treatment stage (literature review)

The article deals with the prevalence of chronic gastroduodenitis and duodenal ulcers among population. Special relevance of this problem for adolescents and young people of employment age is shown. Risk factors and pathogenetic mechanisms of this diseases development are highlighted, and the main clinical distinctive signs in this patients’ group are indicated: pain, dyspeptic and psychoautonomic syndromes. The evidences is given concerning advantage of specialized functional food products and food additives in therapeutic and prophylactic diets of patients with chronic gastroduodenitis and duodenal ulcers, which might be considered as etiopathogenetic treatment method for this patients’ group with significant clinical effects, while pharmacotherapy can be regarded only as a symptomatic treatment. High therapeutic efficiency of wheat gems oil and flour inclusion in the diets of this patients’ group is shown.

Efficient photodynamic therapy against drug-resistant prostate cancer using replication-deficient virus particles and talaporfin sodium.

To enhance the potency of photosensitizer, we developed a novel photosensitizer, Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E (L-HVJ-E), by incorporating talaporfin sodium (Laserphyrin®, Meiji Seika Pharma) into hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E). In this study, we examined the optimal Laserphyrin® concentration for preparation of Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E which had photocytotoxicity and maintained direct cytotoxicity derived from HVJ-E. Then, potency of Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E and Laserphyrin® were compared in vitro using castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). A laser diode (L660P120, Thorlabs, USA) with a wavelength of 664nm was used for light activation of Laserphyrin®, which corresponds to an absorption peak of Laserphyrin® and provides a high therapeutic efficiency. The photocytotoxicity and direct cytotoxicity of Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E prepared using various Laserphyrin® concentrations were evaluated using PC-3 cell in vitro. We categorized the treatment groups as Group 1: 50μL of D-MEM treatment group, Group 2: HVJ-E treatment group, Group 3: Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E treatment group, and Group 4: Laserphyrin® treatment group. Group 3 was subjected to different concentrations of Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E suspension, and all groups were subjected to different incubation periods (24, 48h), (30min, 1h, or 3h,) respectively, without and after PDT. Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E prepared using 15mM Laserphyrin® had high photocytotoxicity and maintained HVJ-E's ability to induce direct cytotoxicity. Therapeutic effect of Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E was substantially equivalent to that of Laserphyrin® alone even at half Laserphyrin® concentration. By utilizing Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E, PDT could be performed with lower Laserphyrin® concentration. In addition, Laserphyrin®-HVJ-E showed higher potency than Laserphyrin® by combining cytotoxicities of HVJ-E and PDT.

Physiotherapy delivery systems-clinical and microbiological effectiveness in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

Relevance . Currently, the symbiotic microflora of the oral cavity plays an increasing role in the occurrence of periodontitis. Frequent use of modern medications for the treatment of patients with chronic generalized periodontitis is not the most effective therapy. One of the reasons for the low effectiveness of treatment can be considered long-term use of antibacterial drugs that lead to the development of dysbiosis in the oral cavity and immune imbalance. In order to improve the quality of periodontal treatment, dentists successfully use physical therapy. It is known that the diode laser has a high therapeutic efficiency, its use leads to a rapid subsiding of acute inflammatory phenomena, stimulation of reparative (recovery) processes, improvement of tissue microcirculation, normalization of the General immune system, and increased resistance (stability) of the body. Ozone generators used for dental treatment have a beneficial effect on periodontal tissues. Therapeutic ozone has: immunostimulating, bactericidal, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and other properties. Purpose . The goal is to study the antibacterial effect of physiotherapy methods with local delivery of exposure agents. Materials and methods . We examined 80 patients with chronic generalized periodontitis of moderate severity, who, depending on the physiotherapy method used in the complex treatment of periodontitis, were divided into 2 groups of 40 people each: the first group used the Picasso led laser, and the second group used the Ozonedta device with combined local exposure to darsonvalization and ozone. The microbiological composition of periodontal pockets was determined before and after physical therapy. To isolate the aerobic microflora, we used the method of sector crops according to Gold (1965) with the calculation of the number of microorganisms in the obtained material. Anaerobes were identified by PCR using the «Multident» kit. The clinical effectiveness of the studied physiotherapy methods was evaluated 12 months after two courses of treatment (once every 6 months) using index indicators that characterize the state of periodontal tissues (PMA, CPI, Green-Vermillion, PPP, PDI, and the degree of gum recession). Results . After exposure to the Picasso diode laser, the number of aerobic microorganisms sown decreases, but not significantly. While the number of aerobic microorganisms significantly decreased after exposure to the «Ozonedta» device (P ≤ 0.001). The titer of the anaerobic microflora studied after exposure to the «Picasso» diode laser on the periodontal pocket changed in the direction of reducing the content of microorganisms by an average of 2 times, and after treatment with the ozone generator «Ozone DTA Generator» in the second group decreased by an average of 4.8 times. After 12 months of maintenance therapy, all clinical indices decreased significantly in both groups, especially the PMA index in the group where the «Ozonedta» device was used. Conclusion . Physiotherapy methods performed using the Picasso diode laser and the «Ozonedta» device for the treatment of periodontitis allow to obtain an antibacterial effect by non-drug local delivery of exposure agents in patients with chronic generalized periodontitis and significantly reduce the signs of inflammation in the periodontal tissues.

Sorafenib-Loaded Long-Circulating Nanoliposomes for Liver Cancer Therapy.

A type of sorafenib- (SOR-) loaded long-circulating nanoliposome was constructed, and the targeting performance and antitumor effects of the prepared liposome were evaluated in the present study. Polyethylene glycol- (PEG-) modified long-circulating nanoliposomes (LC-NPs) were designed and prepared using reverse evaporation, and the LC-NPs were used for delivering sorafenib (LC-PEG-SOR-NPs). Then, the anti-VEGFR antibody as a targeting moiety was chemically coupled with LC-PEG-SOR-NPs to form liver cancer-targeted nanoliposomes (anti-VEGFR-LC-PEG-SOR-NPs). The drug entrapment and loading efficiency were measured. And the cancer-targeting performance and therapeutic efficiency were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The anti-VEGFR-LC-PEG-SOR-NPs with an average of 119.8 ± 4.2 nm showed a uniform spherical structure. The drug entrapment and loading efficiency were 92.5% and 18.5%, respectively. The killing efficiency of anti-VEGFR-LC-PEG-SOR-NPs was up to 18% after incubating with liver cancer cells for 72 h. Furthermore, the anti-VEGFR-LC-PEG-SOR-NPs could actively target at the tumor region and could efficiently inhibit tumor growth with negligible side effects. This newly designed nanoliposomes had desirable dispersibility, high drug entrapment efficiency, tumor targeting and therapeutic efficiency, and good safety. As a biocompatible nanocomposite, it was promising to become a novel and useful tumor-targeting nanodrug for liver cancer therapy.

Facile Construction of i-Motif DNA-Conjugated Gold Nanostars as Near-Infrared and pH Dual-Responsive Targeted Drug Delivery Systems for Combined Cancer Therapy.

Stimuli-responsive DNA-based nanostructures have emerged as promising vehicles for intelligent drug delivery. In this study, i-motif DNA-conjugated gold nanostars (GNSs) were fabricated in a facile manner as stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (denoted as A-GNS/DNA/DOX) for the treatment of cancer via combined chemo-photothermal therapy. The i-motif DNA is sensitive to the environmental pH and can switch from a single-stranded structure to a C-tetrad (i-motif) structure as the environmental pH decreases from neutral (∼7.4) to acidic (<6.0). The loaded drug can then be released along with the conformational changes. To enhance cellular uptake and improve cancer cell selectivity, the aptamer AS1411, which recognizes nucleolins, was employed as a targeting moiety. The A-GNS/DNA/DOX nanocomposites were found to be highly capable of photothermal conversion and exhibited photostability under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, and the pH and NIR irradiation effectively triggered the drug-release behaviors. In addition, the A-GNS/DNA/DOX nanocomposites exhibited good biocompatibility. The targeting recognition enabled the A-GNS/DNA/DOX to exhibit higher cellular uptake and therapeutic efficiency than the GNS/DNA/DOX. Notably, under NIR irradiation, a synergistic effect between chemotherapy and photothermal therapy can be achieved with the proposed delivery system, which exhibits much higher therapeutic efficiency both in monolayer cancer cells and tumor spheroids as compared with a single therapeutic method. This study highlights the potential of GNS/DNA nanoassemblies for intelligent anticancer drug delivery and combined cancer therapy.

Facile Fabrication Route of Janus Gold-Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers with Dual-Drug Delivery for Tumor Therapy.

Codelivery of drugs using multifunctional nanoplatforms with anisotropic properties can produce synergistic effects and improve the antitumor activity of the drugs. In this work, Janus gold-mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized via the Pickering emulsion method. The obtained Janus nanoparticles were further selectively assembled with thiol-β-cyclodextrin as a drug delivery vehicle for paclitaxel on gold domains, while the other mesoporous silica side with a mesoporous structure served as a drug delivery vehicle for doxorubicin. These synthesized Janus nanoparticles possess pH and near-infrared (NIR) dual-responsive release properties. Furthermore, the tumor-bearing mice treated with dual-drug-loaded Janus nanoparticles showed obvious tumor inhibition than single-drug-loaded ones. Histological analysis reveals no pathological changes in the vital organs of the mice. The outcome demonstrated that dual-drug-loaded Janus gold-mesoporous silica nanoparticles possessed a high therapeutic efficiency and excellent biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo and could be used as an effective candidate for cancer therapeutics.

Hyaluronic acid hydrophilic surface rehabilitating curcumin nanocrystals for targeted breast cancer treatment with prolonged biodistribution.

Due to its high therapeutic efficiency and low systemic toxicity, natural bioactive curcumin has attracted more and more attention as a potential antineoplastic drug. Although the emergence of a carrier-free nanocrystalline technology could improve the solubility and guarantee the high drug loading of curcumin, uncontrollable drug release and fast systemic metabolism are definite obstacles that hinder its further application in cancer treatment. Here, hyaluronic acid (HA) modification was carried out on the surface of curcumin nanocrystals (Cur-NC) to obtain surface reformed hydrophilic HA@Cur-NCs that exhibit prolonged biodistribution. Besides this, HA@Cur-NC shows enhanced intracellular uptake in CD44 overexpressing MDA-MB-231 cells, but reduced uptake when pre-treated with HA. The apoptotic effects, confirmed by flow cytometry, suggest that HA@Cur-NC could achieve high anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cells. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies suggest that the t1/2 and mean residence time (MRT) of Cur are significantly extended after the intravenous administration of HA@Cur-NC in normal rats. Moreover, HA@Cur-NC demonstrated superior anticancer effects in a murine 4T1 orthotopic breast cancer model compared with free drug and Cur-NC. Overall, these results show the potential of HA@Cur-NC as a suitable formula for use in breast cancer therapy.

Risk Management for the Reliability of Robotic Assisted Treatment of Non-resectable Liver Tumors

Hepatic cancers represent an important worldwide health issue where surgery alone in most cases is not a feasible therapeutic solution since most tumors are non-resectable. Despite targeted therapies showing positive results in other areas of cancer treatment, in the case of liver tumors, no low-risk delivery methods have been identified. Based on a risk assessment approach, this paper proposes a technical solution in the form of a robotic system capable of achieving a reliable delivery method for targeted treatment, focusing on the patient safety and therapeutic efficiency. The design of the robotic system starts from the definition of the design constraints with respect to the medical protocol. An analytical hierarchy process is used to prioritize the data correlated with the technical characteristics of a new robotic system, aiming to minimize risks associated with the medical procedure. In a four-phase quality function deployment, the technical solution is evaluated with respect to the quality characteristics, functions, subsystems, and components aiming to achieve a safe and reliable system with high therapeutic efficiency. The results lead to the concept of HeRo, a parallel robotic system for the reliable targeted treatment of non-resectable liver tumors.

Synthesis of magnetic gold coated poly (ε-caprolactonediol) based polyurethane/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted-chitosan core-shell nanofibers for controlled release of paclitaxel and 5-FU

The poly (ε-caprolactonediol) based polyurethane (PCL-Diol-b-PU)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted-chitosan (PNIPAAm-g-chitosan) core-shell nanofibers were synthesized via coaxial electrospinning process. Paclitaxel and 5-FU anticancer drugs were incorporated into the core of nanofibers. The nanofibers surface was coated using magnetic gold nanoparticles and the potential of synthesized nanofibers was investigated for the sustained release of paclitaxel and 5-FU toward 4T1 breast cancer cells death in vitro and in vivo. The synthesized magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD and DLS analysis. The surface morphology of nanofibers was studied under various applied voltage and different shell flow rates. The paclitaxel and 5-FU release profiles from nanofibers were examined under acidic and physiological pH. The maximum 4T1 cell killing was found to be 78% using magnetic gold coated-nanofibers in the presence of external magnetic field. The SEM images after incubation of nanofibers in 4T1 breast cancer cells indicated the well adhesion of cells on the nanofibers surface. The in vivo studies showed that the tumor volume did not change during 10 days. The minimum increase in tumor volume was obtained using paclitaxel and 5-FU loaded-nanofibers coated by the magnetic gold nanoparticles. The obtained results demonstrated the high therapeutic efficiency of synthesized nanofibrous carrier toward breast cancer treatment.

TOPICAL DELIVERY OF DRUGS USING ETHOSOMES: A REVIEW

The skin is the largest organ of the human body that restricts the movement of drug to the systemic circulation. Topical drug delivery system is a system where the drug reaches the systemic circulation through the protective layer i.e. skin. The main disadvantage of this route is the low diffusion rate of the drugs which is across the stratum corneum layer of the skin. To overcome this problem to a certain extent, ethosomal delivery for drugs and herbal compounds has been recently introduced. Literature studies indicate that ethosomal formulation of acyclovir shows high therapeutic efficiency with shorter healing time in the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis than conventional Zovirax. Also, the ethosomes of minoxidil enhanced the skin permeation of minoxidil in vitro in comparison to its ethanolic or phospholipid ethanolic micellar solution or hydroethanolic solution. T he advantages of this system include increased drug permeation, increased drug entrapment and improved drug delivery. Ethosomal drug delivery system opens up doors for the development of new and novel therapies for treating male pattern baldness, as it is an easier way to prepare, in addition to its safety and efficacy. In this review article, we have focused on methods of preparation of ethosomes, characterization techniques, applications, details about the various research trials for the management of androgenic alopecia and various ethosomal products in market.

DOX-Conjugated keratin nanoparticles for pH-Sensitive drug delivery

Keratin is a good candidate for drug carrier due to its good biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, redox responsiveness, and abundant renewable sources. Herein, doxorubicin (DOX) was first conjugated with keratin through a pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage, and then prepared into particulate drug carrier via desolvation method. The size, morphology, and surface potential of keratin-DOX nanoparticles (KDNPs) were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The drug release results showed that KDNPs performed an excellent pH-sensitive behavior under acidic tumor microenvironment. Cytotoxicity assay by MTT confirmed that KDNPs exhibited the enhanced cytotoxicity against A549 cells. Furthermore, KDNPs had higher therapeutic efficiency in vivo than free DOX. Hemolysis assay indicated that KDNPs was blood compatible. All the results identified that KDNPs are well suited as an ideal drug carrier.