Camptothecin-loaded chondroitin sulfate-celecoxib reduction-sensitive micelles for enhanced colon cancer treatment
Abstract
Studies have shown that inflammation is closely linked to the cancer development, and the patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of colon cancer. Celecoxib (CXB) and camptothecin (CPT) showed potential treatment for IBD and colon cancers, respectively. However, their applications are limited by synchronous delivery, water insolubility, and off-target side effects. Herein, a glutathione (GSH) responsive chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)-SS-CXB micelle loaded with CPT (CSA-SS-CXB@CPT) was prepared as a targeted system to treat colon cancer by anti-inflammatory and antitumor synergistic effect. Specifically, CSA had tumor tumor-targeting effect due to colon cancer lesion-high expression of CD44 receptors. In vitro results verified that CSA-SS-CXB@CPT selectively internalized into colon cancer HT-29 cells and had strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination ability. The CSA-SS-CXB@CPT could rapidly release CXB and CPT in the tumor microenvironment for playing an anti-tumor role. In vivo experiments illustrated that CSA-SS-CXB@CPT significantly targeted tumor tissues and suppressed tumor growth without producing serious side effects in tumor-bearing nude mice. Therefore, this work provides an opportunity for targeted co-delivery of anti-inflammatory and chemotherapy drugs to treat colon cancer.