CD-44 targeted nanoparticles for combination therapy in an in vitro model of triple-negative breast cancer: Targeting the tumour inside out
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2025-05Author
Gómez-Pastor, S.Maugard, A.
Walker, Harriet R.
Elies, Jacobo

Børsum, K.E.
Grimaldi, Giulia

Reina, G.
Ruiz, Amalia

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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).Peer-Reviewed
YesOpen Access status
openAccessAccepted for publication
2025-01-07
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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer defined by the lack of three key receptors: estrogen, progesterone, and HER2. This lack of receptors makes TNBC difficult to treat with hormone therapy or drugs, and so it is characterised by a poor prognosis compared to other kinds of breast cancer. This study explores photoactive Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles as a potential therapeutic strategy for TNBC. The nanoparticles are functionalised with hyaluronic acid (HA) for targeted delivery to CD-44 receptors overexpressed in TNBC cells, especially under hypoxic conditions. Additionally, we co-loaded the nanoparticles with Doxorubicin (Dox) and Indocyanine Green (ICG) to enable combinatorial chemo-photothermal therapy. After carefully optimising the formulation, we propose an effortless and reproducible preparation of the nanodrugs. We demonstrate that HA-conjugated nanoparticles effectively target TNBC cells and inhibit their proliferation while the treatment efficiency is enhanced during near-infrared light irradiation. We also prove that our treatment is effective in a 3D cell culture model, highlighting the importance of tumour architecture and the metabolic stage of the cells in the tumour microenvironment. This approach is promising for a tumour-targeted theragnostic for TNBC with improved efficacy in hypoxic microenvironments.Version
Published versionCitation
Gómez-Pastor S, Maugard A, Walker HR et al (2025) CD-44 targeted nanoparticles for combination therapy in an in vitro model of triple-negative breast cancer: Targeting the tumour inside out. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. 249: 114504.Link to Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114504Type
Articleae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114504