THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF DOCETAXEL AND COMBRETASTATIN A4 LOADED PEG-PLGA NANOPARTICLES IN HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELLS

OBJECTIVE: Although chemotherapy is widely used in the treatment of cancer, it suffers due to the nonspecific biodistribution and side effects of chemotherapy agents. In this study, a nano formulation that can both prevent the formation of drug resistance and increase the effectiveness of treatment was developed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Docetaxel (DTX) and Combretastatin A4 (CA4) loaded PEG-PLGA (Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) polymeric nanoparticles were fabricated with mono and binary drug loading. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The UV-Vis spectrometer determined critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) values, drug encapsulation efficiency, and drug release profiles of the mono and binary drug-loaded nanoparticles. In vitro efficiency of the DTX and CA4 loaded PEG-PLGA nanoparticles was tested using a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) compared to free drug formulations. RESULTS: PEG-PLGA nanoparticles had a CMC value of 0.0126 mM. The size of the particles was measured at around 5-10 nm. They released almost all loaded content in 4 days at pH 5.5, whereas this value remained 60% at pH 7.4. DTX and CA4 loaded nanoparticles showed a lower EC50 value than the dual free drug formulation. CONCLUSIONS: The designed nano dual drug formulation can be an alternative chemotherapy solution for cancer treatment.