Development and optimization of TPGS/P84 mixed polymeric micelles: enhanced stability and anticancer effect of paclitaxel against tumor therapy

Mixed micelles (MMs), as a new targeted drug delivery system with high adjustability, have been widely studied in biomedicines. In order to study whether mixtures containing two different molecules have excellent targeted anti-tumor effect, MMs based on D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and triblock copolymer P84 were prepared, and the characterization, cell endocytosis, and exocytosis of P84/TPGS MMs were observed. Paclitaxel (PTX), a classical anti-tumor drug, was selected as a model compound to explore its anti-tumor effect in vivo. The results showed that P84/TPGS MMs had better stability, suitably distributed particle size, good cell endocytosis, and tumor sphere permeability, which could improve the permeability of PTX in the tumor site and effectively inhibit the growth of H22 tumor in mice. In conclusion, P84/TPGS MMs is a potential micelle carrier system of cancer targeting, needing further investigation.