Targeting CD133(+) laryngeal carcinoma cells with chemotherapeutic drugs and siRNA against ABCG2 mediated by thermo/pH-sensitive mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) represent a new form of drug nanocarrier with thermo/pH-coupling sensitivity and site-specificity. CD133(+) Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cells are responsible for multidrug resistance due to elevated expression of ABCG2. Since positively charged nanoparticles could easily uptake nucleic acids, we examined the possibility of using this new drug delivery system to simultaneously deliver different chemotherapeutic drugs and siRNA targeting ABCG2. Our results demonstrated that both antitumor drugs and siRNA against ABCG2 were successfully delivered into CD133(+) cancer cells by loaded MSNs. Down-regulation of ABCG2 significantly enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis in laryngeal carcinoma cells. Furthermore, the chemotherapeutic drug and siRNA loaded nanoparticles inhibited tumor growth in vivo in a laryngeal cancer mouse model.