Topotecan-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for reversing multi-drug resistance by synergetic chemoradiotherapy.

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) has become a major challenge for the further improvement of chemotherapy. Thus, more effective strategies for further enhancing the treatment against cancer by overcoming MDR are warranted. In this study, by the encapsulation of the radiosensitizing drug TPT into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), the combined use of drug-delivered chemotherapy and high-energy X-ray induced radiotherapy could produce synergetic chemoradiotherapeutic effects to kill multi-drug resistant cells through significant DNA damage, thus leading to an efficient circumvention of MDR. We hope that this synergetic dual-mode treatment strategy may achieve higher oncolytic efficacy and find use in future clinical anti-MDR applications.