Albumin-stabilized layered double hydroxide nanoparticles synergised combination chemotherapy for colorectal cancer treatment.

Combination chemotherapy with two or more complimentary drugs has been widely used for clinical cancer treatment. However, the efficacy and side effects of combination chemotherapy still remains a challenge. Here, we constructed an albumin-stabilized layered double hydroxide nanoparticle (BLDH) system to simultaneously load and deliver two widely used anti-tumor drugs, i.e. 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and albumin-bound PTX (Abraxane, ABX) for colorectal cancer treatment. The cellular uptake test has revealed that BLDH/5FU-ABX nanoparticles were efficiently internalized by the colorectal cancer cell (HCT-116), synergistically inducing apoptosis of colon cancer cells. The in vivo test has demonstrated that combination BLDH/5FU-ABX nanomedicine significantly inhibited the tumor growth after three intravenous injections, without any detectable side effects. The enhanced therapeutic effectiveness are attributed to efficient accumulation of BLDH/5FU-ABX at tumor sites and acid-sensitive release of co-loaded drugs. Thus, combination chemotherapy based on BLDH/5FU-ABX nanomedicine would be a new strategy for colon cancer treatment.