Self-Assembled Berberine-Sinapic Acid Nanomedicine for Synergistic Chemotherapy

TL;DR

A new nanomedicine combining berberine and sinapic acid shows effective and safe breast cancer treatment in mice.

Contribution

A novel self-assembled nanomedicine with synergistic chemotherapy and low toxicity for breast cancer treatment.

Findings

BBR-SA nanomedicine effectively inhibits mouse mammary carcinoma cell proliferation.

In vivo tests show BBR-SA has a stronger anti-tumor effect than individual drugs.

No significant systemic toxicity was observed after 28 days of BBR-SA administration.

Abstract

Breast cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors globally, underscoring the urgent need for efficient and low-toxicity treatment strategies. In this study, a novel nanomedicine (BBR-SA) was constructed based on the self-assembled of berberine (BBR) and sinapic acid (SA) for synergistic chemotherapy. Firstly, utilizing π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic forces between BBR and SA, the BBR-SA achieved a well-defined nanostructure with high drug-loading capacity and favorable water dispersibility. Furthermore, BBR-SA nanomedicine effectively inhibited the proliferation of mouse mammary carcinoma cells (4T1), showing a significantly stronger inhibitory effect than either BBR or SA alone. Moreover, the remarkable anti-tumor effect was obtained after treatment with BBR-SA nanomedicine in vivo, further demonstrating a synergistic therapeutic effect. More importantly, no significant systemic toxicity was observed after 28 days of intravenous administration with BBR-SA nanomedicine. In summary, the BBR-SA nanomedicine represents a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for breast cancer, offering new perspectives on the application of the traditional chinese medicine in anti-tumor therapy.

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