Enhanced Ehrlich tumor inhibition using DOX-NP™ and gold nanoparticles loaded liposomes

Abstract

Treatment with doxorubicin (DOX) is a common regime in treating various types of cancer. DOX-NP™ is one of a well established marketed liposomal formulation for DOX. It offers distinct advantages over conventional DOX in reducing the cardiac toxicity and increasing the tolerability and efficacy. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs), a typical biocompatible nanomaterial, have been widely used in biomedical engineering and bioanalytical applications such as biomedical imaging and biosensors. Ehrlich tumors were grown in female balb mice by subcutaneous injection of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Mice bearing Ehrlich tumor were injected with saline, free doxorubicin (DOX) in solution, gold nanoparticles loaded liposomes and commercial liposomal encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX-NP™). The results showed that GNPs loaded liposomes could enhance the antitumor activity of commercial liposomal formulation (DOX-NP™) and displayed significantly decreased systemic toxicity compared with free DOX and commercial liposomal formulation (DOX-NP™) at the equivalent dose. So the combination of GNPs and liposomes is expected to significantly increase the likelihood of cell killing and make it a promising new approach to cancer therapy.