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

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Abstract

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.

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

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Acknowledgements

This study was fully supported by Tra Vinh University under Grant contract number 419/2022/HĐ.HĐKH&ĐT-ĐHTV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy and Medicine, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City, 940000, Vietnam

    Ngoc The Nguyen & Phuong Duy Huynh

  2. Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Van Toan Nguyen & Dinh Trung Nguyen

  3. Faculty of Natural Science, Duy Tan University, Da Nang City, 550000, Vietnam

    Van Toan Nguyen & Dinh Trung Nguyen

  4. Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Thanh Tam Vu, Tuong Vi Le Nguyen, Ngoc Quyen Tran & Phuong Le Thi

  5. Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Tuong Vi Le Nguyen, Ngoc Quyen Tran & Phuong Le Thi

  6. Faculty of Pharmacy, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Trang Thuy Thi Nguyen

  7. Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Binh An Pham

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  1. Ngoc The Nguyen
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Nguyen, N.T., Nguyen, V.T., Vu, T.T. et al. Efficient and controllable co-delivery of paclitaxel and curcumin from fucoidan-pluronic F127 nanogel for synergistic breast cancer treatment. Macromol. Res. 32, 427–442 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13233-023-00240-8

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