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Co-delivery of Sildenafil (Viagra®) and Crizotinib for Synergistic and Improved Anti-tumoral Therapy

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Abstract

Purpose

Cancer multi-drug resistance is a major issue associated with current anti-tumoral therapeutics. In this work, Crizotinib an anti-tumoral drug approved for the treatment of non-small lung cancer in humans, and Sildenafil (Viagra®), were loaded into micellar carriers to evaluate the establishment of a possible synergistic anti-tumoral effect in breast cancer cells.

Methods

Micellar carriers comprised by PEG-PLA block co-polymers were formulated by the solvent displacement method in which the simultaneous encapsulation of Crizotinib and Sildenafil was promoted. Encapsulation efficiency was analyzed by a new UPLC method validated for this combination of compounds. Micelle physicochemical characterization and cellular uptake were characterized by light scattering and confocal microscopy. The bio- and hemocompatibility of the carriers was also evaluated. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were used to investigate the synergistic anti-tumoral effect.

Results

Our results demonstrate that this particular combination induces massive apoptosis of breast cancer cells. The co-delivery of Crizotinib and Sildenafil was only possible due to the high encapsulation efficiency of the micellar systems (>70%). The micelles with size ranging between 93 and 127 nm were internalized by breast cancer cells and subsequently released their payload in the intracellular compartment. The results obtained demonstrated that the delivery of both drugs by micellar carriers led to a 2.7 fold increase in the anti-tumoral effect, when using only half of the concentration that is required when free drugs are administered.

Conclusions

Altogether, co-delivery promoted a synergistic effect and demonstrated for the first time the potential of PEG-PLA-Crizotinib-Sildenafil combination for application in cancer therapy.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLOSURES

The authors would like to thank to Eng. Ana Paula for the acquisition of SEM images. This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), (PTDC/EME-TME/103375/2008, PTDC/EBB-BIO/114320/2009, PEst-C/SAU/UI0709/2011). Vítor M. Gaspar, acknowledges a PhD fellowship from FCT (SFRH/BD/80402/2011).

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  1. CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506, Covilhã, Portugal

    João G. Marques, Vítor M. Gaspar, David Markl, Elisabete C. Costa, Eugénia Gallardo & Ilídio J. Correia

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  1. João G. Marques
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  2. Vítor M. Gaspar
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Correspondence to Ilídio J. Correia.

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Marques, J.G., Gaspar, V.M., Markl, D. et al. Co-delivery of Sildenafil (Viagra®) and Crizotinib for Synergistic and Improved Anti-tumoral Therapy. Pharm Res 31, 2516–2528 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-014-1347-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-014-1347-x

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