Multifunctional doxorubicin loaded superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for chemotherapy and magnetic resonance imaging in liver cancer

To develop a drug delivery system with enhanced efficacy and minimized adverse effects, we synthesized a novel polymeric nanoparticles, (YCC-DOX) composed of poly (ethylene oxide)-trimellitic anhydride chloride-folate (PEO-TMA-FA), doxorubicin (DOX) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) and folate. The efficacy of the nanoparticles was evaluated in rats and rabbits with liver cancer, in comparison with free-DOX (FD) and a commercial liposome drug, DOXIL^®. YCC-DOX showed the anticancer efficacy and specifically targeted folate receptor (FR)-expressing tumors, thereby increasing the bioavailability and efficacy of DOX. The relative tumor volume of the YCC-DOX group was decreased two- and four-fold compared with the FD and DOXIL^® groups in the rat and rabbit models, respectively. Furthermore, YCC-DOX showed higher MRI sensitivity comparable to a conventional MRI contrast agent (Resovist^®), even in its lower iron content. In the immunohistochemical analysis, YCC-DOX group showed the lower expression of CD34 and Ki-67, markers of angiogenesis and cell proliferation, respectively, while apoptotic cells were significantly rich in the YCC-DOX group in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. These results indicate that YCC-DOX is a promising candidate for treating liver cancer and monitoring the progress of the cancer using MRI.