Epidermal growth factor receptor targeted doxorubicin and vitexin loaded niosomes for enhanced breast cancer therapy

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women, and its current treatment modalities are limited by their non-specificity and adverse side effects. We evaluated the efficacy of cetuximab (C) conjugated doxorubicin (D) and vitexin (V) loaded niosomes (NIODVC) as a targeted delivery system for breast cancer. The combined release of doxorubicin and vitexin by antibody conjugated niosomes followed a biphasic release resulting in enhanced cytotoxicity (63%) and increased therapeutic efficiency compared to combined drug formulations (53%) without antibody. NIODVC demonstrated efficient cellular uptake in vitro, and its efficiency in treating breast cancer in BALB/c mice by local or systemic delivery was revealed by its potential anti-proliferation and anti-inflammatory activity. The localized delivery of NIODVC downregulated the genes that are over-expressed in breast cancer. These findings suggest that the combined delivery of doxorubicin and vitexin conjugated with cetuximab antibody provides a promising targeted therapy for breast cancer.