The combination therapy of salinomycin and gefitinib using poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles for targeting both lung cancer stem cells and cancer cells

Purpose Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Evidences suggest that both LC cancer stem cells (CSCs) and cancer cells are supposed to be eliminated to achieve superior treatment effect against LC. Salinomycin could eradiate CSCs in various types of cancers, and gefitinib is a first-line therapy in LC. The purpose of the present study was to develop salinomycin-loaded nanoparticles (salinomycin-NPs) combined with gefitinib-loaded nanoparticles (gefitinib-NPs) to eradicate both LC CSCs and cancer cells.