ZnO@polymer core-shell nanoparticles are assembled into novel capsule shells with diameters of about 100 nm to load isotretinoin (ISO) with a capacity as high as 34.6 wt %. Although ISO, a widely used drug for acne treatment, by itself is not suitable for treating cancer because of its hydrophobicity, our ZnO-ISO composite showed much stronger anticancer activity. The improved cytotoxicity is ascribed to the synergistic effects of the ZnO@polymer and ISO, where the ZnO@polymer helps in the accumulation of ISO in cancer cells on the one hand, and on the other hand, ISO is released completely through ZnO decomposition under acidic conditions of cancer cells. Such a pH-triggered drug-delivery system exhibits a much improved killing of cancer cells in vitro in comparison with the benchmarks, Nintedanib and Crizotinib, two commercial drugs clinically applied against lung cancer.
Keywords: ZnO nanoparticle; cancer cell; core−shell; drug delivery; isotretinoin.