Emodin-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer to doxorubicin by inhibiting epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Abstract

Abstract Background The role of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) involved in breast cancer metastasis and chemoresistance has been increasingly recognized. However, it is necessary to search for more effective strategies to inhibit EMT thereby increase the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs. Emodin has a potential in overcoming tumor drug resistance and restraining the development of EMT, but the poor internalization into breast cancer cells limited the application. Results MCF-7/ADR cells have more EMT characteristics than MCF-7 cell. EMT in MCF-7/ADR cells promotes the development of drug resistance via apoptosis resistance and facilitating the expression of P-gp. The anti-cancer effect of DOX enhanced by the decreasing of drug resistance protein P-gp and apoptosis-related proteins after EMT inhibited in MCF-7/ADR cells. E-PLNs increase the cellular uptake of EMO and restore DOX sensitivity in MCF-7/ADR cells by inhibiting EMT. Conclusion E-PLNs inhibit EMT to enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer to DOX. The combination of E-PLNs and DOX can improve the efficacy of DOX in the treatment of breast cancer, which provides a new method to prevent or delay clinical drug resistance.