Electric charge conversable drug liposomes enable to enhance treatment efficacy of breast cancer

Intrinsic drug resistance has been demonstrated in different types of breast cancer cells, leading to the recurrence of disease after treatment. Here, we report a functional drug liposome that enables electric charge conversion in the weak acidic milieu of cancer to enhance the treatment efficacy of different breast cancers. The functional drug liposomes were developed by encapsulating daunorubicin and rofecoxib, and modified with new functional material, D-alpha tocopherol acid succinate-polyethylene glycol-glutarate (TPGS1000-glutarate). The results demonstrated that the liposomes promoted the effects of cellular uptake and lysosomal escape, followed by targeting the mitochondria. Consequently, the electric charge conversable drug liposomes significantly enhanced the treatment efficacy by initiating a cascade of reactions through inducing autophagy and apoptosis in different breast cancer cells. In conclusion, the electric charge conversable drug liposomes enable to enhance treatment efficacy of different breast cancers, and hence the study could offer a broadly applicable strategy to enhance efficacy against heterogeneous and refractory cancer cells.