Liposomal Codelivery\nof Doxorubicin and Curcumin Sensitizes\nAntitumor Activity and Reduces Tumor Metastasis

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to traditional\ncancer\ntreatment using chemotherapeutic agents like doxorubicin (DOX). MDR\naffects drug dosage regimens and enables the recurrence and metastasis\nof cancer. Because DOX causes severe side effects at high dosages,\nit is important to use an MDR modulator to make cancer cells sensitive\nto DOX. This work focused on a liposome-based codelivery system containing\ncurcumin (CUR) and DOX, focusing on CUR as an MDR modulator. The synergistic\neffect was maximized when the ratio of DOX and CUR was 1:1, and the\nsynthesis of liposomal drugs was successfully verified. In addition,\na successful MDR reversal effect was demonstrated through rhodamine\n123 assay, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Compared to the\nconventional DOX treatment, the dual-drug treatment exhibits a significantly\nimproved anticancer effect. In the murine metastasis 4T1 IP tumor\nmodel, the dual-drug-encapsulating liposomes successfully suppressed\ntumor growth and reversed the tumoral effect (omental tumor metastasis,\nfat, and muscle weight loss) into a normal state.