Efficient and controllable co-delivery of paclitaxel and curcumin from fucoidan-pluronic F127 nanogel for synergistic breast cancer treatment

The co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and curcumin (Cur) has proven to be an effective method for breast cancer treatment. However, the poor solubility of both PTX and Cur limits their bioavailability, resulting in insufficient anticancer effects. Herein, we developed a novel nanogel based on fucoidan to facilitate the co-encapsulation of PTX and Cur and improve their therapeutic effectiveness. The thermosensitive copolymer, fucoidan-pluronic F127 (Fud-F127), was synthesized and characterized by various techniques, including proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and critical micelle concentration (CMC). Cur and PTX were easily loaded into the Fud-F127 nanogel (Fud-F127@Cur@PTX), with high drug loading capacity of 84.4% for Cur and 86.83% for PTX. The PTX and Cur were sustainedly released followed a Fickian diffusion mechanism and triggered at acidic pH 5.5. In vitro assessments demonstrated that Fud-F127@Cur@PTX exhibited lower cytotoxicity towards breast cancer cells (MCF-7) than Fud-F127@PTX and free PTX at the same dose, highlighting the potential of Cur in mitigating the acute toxicity of PTX. These results suggest the potential of Fud-F127 as an effective nanocarrier for the co-delivery of PTX and Cur, which aims to minimize the adverse effects associated with breast cancer treatment.

Graphical abstract

Fud-F127 nanogel system encapsulating Cur and PTX for enhanced delivery