Boosted breast cancer treatment with cell membrane-coated PLGA nanocarriers: Investigating the interactions with various cell types

Nanomaterials inspired by nature and applied in the medical field have exhibited remarkable potential to diagnose and treat diseases. However, further improvements are required to enhance therapeutic effectiveness, particularly in terms of targeting. In this study, we formulated paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded poly lactic-co-glycolic (PLGA) nanocarriers (PLGA-PTX NCs) and coated with cancer cell membrane derived from MCF-7 breast cancer cells, mPLGA-PTX NCs. By leveraging the homotypic adhesion between cells, we enhance the treatment's effectiveness, which is associated with increased accumulation of mPLGA NCs in MCF-7 cells. Additionally, the cellular uptake of mPLGA NCs is investigated in cell types similar to MCF-7, which may also promote homotypic adhesion through specific adhesion molecules. This study includes A549 lung cancer cells, HDFn dermal fibroblasts, and MCF-10A non-tumorigenic breast cells. Our results show higher uptake for all cell lines, indicating homologous binding and common cell adhesion molecules, regardless of specificity. The treatment's efficacy, as evidenced by cellular metabolic activity, implies that both the percentage of NC-positive cells and uptake levels should be considered when evaluating therapeutic potency. All findings together emphasize the importance of thorough analysis of nanocarrier-cell interactions covering various cell types and understanding the nature of these interactions.