Magnetic micelles as a potential platform for dual targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy

The magnetic nanomicelles as a potential platform for dual targeted (folate-mediated and magnetic-guided) drug delivery were developed to enhance the efficiency and veracity of drug delivering to tumor site. The magnetic nanocarriers were synthesized based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), biocompatible Pluronic F127 and poly(dl-lactic acid) (F127-PLA) copolymer chemically conjugated with tumor-targeting ligand-folic acid (FA) via a facile chemical conjugation method. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX·HCl) was selected as a model anticancer drug to investigate the in vitro drug release and antiproliferative effect of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo in the presence or absence of an external magnetic filed (MF) with strength of 0.1T. The Alamar blue assay exhibited that these magnetic nanomicelles possessed remarkable cell-specific targeting in vitro. Additionally this smart system enabling folate receptor-mediated uptake into tumor cells, showed strong responsiveness to MF. The primary in vivo tumor model study, which was carried out in VX2 tumor-bearing male New Zealand white rabbits, demonstrated that the nanomicelles could be guided into tumor site more efficiently by application of MF, and further represented significant therapeutic efficiency to solid tumor.