Oxygen nanocarrier (A/D-ONC) with a polymeric core entrapping hemoglobin and a cationic lipid shell absorbing a DOX-intercalating DNA duplex is developed. After endocytosis oxygenated A/D-ONC donates O2 to cancer cells that acts therapeutically by: (1) increasing intracellular ATP content that promotes DOX release, thereby converting ATP to the trigger of detrimental chemotherapy; (2) by synchronously increasing the ROS amount to amplify the lethality to cancer cells.
Keywords: aptamers; cancer therapy; chemotherapy; mitochondria; oxygen nanocarrier.
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