Iron oxide nanoparticles as a drug carrier reduce host immunosuppression for enhanced chemotherapy

Nanoscale. 2022 Mar 24;14(12):4588-4594. doi: 10.1039/d1nr07750c.

Abstract

Chemotherapy is still regarded as the main modality for cancer treatment. However, it often suppresses the host immune system, resulting in limited therapeutic effects. It is desirable to design a novel chemotherapeutic agent to reduce the level of immunosuppression. Herein, we designed bovine serum albumin (BSA)-bioinspired iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) as a nanocarrier to load anticancer drug mitoxantrone (MTX) for enhanced chemotherapy of orthotopic breast cancer. The treatment with IONPs@BSA-MTX complexes increased CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes more than free MTX. The complexes effectively restored the host immune system and exhibited a better anticancer efficacy than free MTX. It was worth noting that the BSA-inspired IONPs were a satisfactory contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of tumors and lymph nodes. Our work provides a novel strategy for enhanced chemotherapy with low levels of immunosuppression in the treatment of breast cancer and other cancers.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
  • Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine