Docetaxel-loaded pH/ROS dual-responsive nanoparticles for the targeted treatment of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC), characterized by its high incidence and mortality, poses a great threat to public health worldwide. Although various advanced treatments have been developed for GC, the cure rate remains poor. Docetaxel (DTX), a broad-spectrum antitumor drug, has been widely used for the treatment of GC. However, its use in clinical practice is limited by its low water solubility and severe side effects. Our previous work developed a pH/ROS dual-responsive nanoplatform to deliver DTX (DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs) for the targeted treatment of breast cancer. These nanotherapeutics displayed desirable therapeutic effects for breast cancer without obvious adverse effects. On the basis of the treatment potential of DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs, these nanoparticles (NPs) were used for the targeted treatment of GC. In vitro experiments demonstrated that DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs can be efficiently internalized by HGC-27 cells and deeply penetrate tumor spheroids. Moreover, DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs effectively hindered GC cell migration by approximately 60.1% and decreased GC cell invasion. In vivo experiments revealed that DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs obviously accumulated at the tumor site and that the released DTX significantly blocked tumor growth by approximately 79.6%. In conclusion, DTX/FA-CA-Oxi-αCD NPs exhibited promising therapeutic outcomes for GC treatment.