Overcoming Cancer Multidrug Resistance by Codelivery of Doxorubicin and Verapamil with Hydrogel Nanoparticles

The efficacy of chemotherapy is often inhibited by multidrug resistance (MDR). A highly engineerable hydrogel nanoparticle (NP) serves as a carrier for the optimal codelivery to tumor cells of the chemodrug, doxorubicin (Dox) and the chemosensitizer, verapamil (Vera), aiming at alleviating tumor MDR. The hydrogel NPs are prepared via the copolymerization of acrylamide and 2‐carboxyethyl acrylate. Dox and Vera are post‐loaded into the respective NPs, with drug loading around 7.7 wt% and 8.0 wt%, respectively. The codelivery of Dox‐NPs and Vera‐NPs increases the intracellular accumulation of Dox, and significantly enhances the cell killing ability of Dox with respect to NCI/ADR‐RES cells in vitro. These findings suggest that such codelivery nanoplatforms provide a promising route for overcoming tumor MDR. A new kind of hydrogel nanoparticles is developed as a delivery vehicle for codelivery of doxorubicin, an anti‐cancer drug (affects DNA), and verapamil, a chemosensitizer (blocks efflux pump), to tumor cells, aiming at overcoming multidrug resistance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108282/1/mabi201400035.pd