Adenosine monophosphate modified nanomicelles for precise delivery of magnolol enhances chemosensitivity in cancer therapy

Malignant neoplasms, which are related closely to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway, are one of the greatest risks threatening human health today. Magnolol (MAG), a traditional Chinese herbal extract, which has been proved to inhibit EMT pathway of solid tumors in previous studies. In this study, we first verified that MAG reduced metastasis and enhanced chemosensitivity to doxorubicin (DOX) in A549 cells, a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell. An adenosine monophosphate (AMP) modified nanomicelles (APD@MAG NMs) was further prepared using the appropriate feeding ratio, loading with synergistic DOX and MAG. APD@MAG NMs with high positive charged surface reduced drug release of negative charged MAG, and achieved continuous cellular uptake. APD@MAG NMs significantly reduced the cell viability and enhanced the cell apoptosis of A549 cells. Moreover, the APD@MAG NMs significantly inhibited the mRNA levels and the protein expression of EMT related pathway. Overall, these APD@MAG NMs provide an effective therapeutic strategy for clinical chemo-therapy in NSCLC.