Combination of gemcitabine-containing magnetoliposome and oxaliplatin-containing magnetoliposome in breast cancer treatment: A possible mechanism with potential for clinical application

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major global health problem with high incidence and case fatality rates. The use of magnetoliposomes has been suggested as an effective therapeutic approach because of their good specificity for cancers. In this study, we developed two novel magnetoliposomes, namely, Gemcitabine-containing magnetoliposome (GML) and Oxaliplatin-containing magnetoliposome (OML). These magnetoliposomes were combined (CGOML) was used to treat breast cancer under an external magnetic field. Biosafety test results showed that GML and OML were biologically safe to blood cells and did not adversely affect the behavior of mice. Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies indicated that both magnetoliposomes exhibited stable structures and persisted at the target area under an external magnetic field. Cell and animal experiments revealed that CGOML can markedly suppress the growth of MCF-7 cells, and only the CGOML group can minimize the tumor size among all the groups. Finally, CGOML can significantly inhibit MCF-7cell growth both in vitro and vivo by activating the apoptotic signaling pathway of MCF-7 cells.