PTX encapsulated by an XG–DOX conjugate for combination therapy against multi-drug resistance

So far, several anti-cancer drugs have shown low efficacy in the clinic because of multi-drug resistance (MDR), which always leads to the failure of chemotherapy. In addition, high doses of these chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX) result in high toxicity. Considering the above problems, a kind of dual drug loading onto a conjugate was designed, which makes good use of two drugs. In this new nano-drug delivery system, DOX works as a hydrophobic core and xyloglucan (XG) works as a hydrophilic shell to form stable nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Thereafter, PTX is encapsulated by this XG–DOX conjugate (PTX nano-DDS). Results have demonstrated that PTX nano-DDS possesses outstanding advantages over ordinary systems, including precise control over the molar ratio of the drugs and high hepatic targeting. Moreover, through the combination of two drugs, the system can maximize efficacy through synergism between PTX and DOX. It also has minimal side effects and is effective against MDR cancer cells. This kind of system is therefore practical for development as a new type of targeted dual drug delivery system in combination therapy.