A biocompatible and magnetic nanocarrier with a safe UV-initiated docetaxel release and cancer secretion removal properties increases therapeutic potential for skin cancer.

Cancer is a leading fatal disease worldwide. To increase its therapeutic efficiency, more effective with less side effect and patient acceptable administration approach is expected. Moreover, modification of tumor microenvironment is proved to be operative recently. In this paper, a nanocarrier named LDEDDS was developed for intelligent tropical administration of skin cancer, along with removal of hydrophobic cancerous secretion to change tumor microenvironment. It was made by coating of amphipathic polymer P(BA-co-HBA) on docetaxel (TXT, a model hydrophobic anticancer drug) loaded Fe3O4@ZnO. Results showed that an optimal loading rate of TXT in Fe3O4@ZnO was 89.75±0.15%, corresponding to loading capacity of 17.95±2.97% when the mass ratio of Fe3O4@ZnO to TXT was 1:20. The LDEDDS had a narrow distribution size of 115.8nm in average and was superparamagnetic. Without UV radiation, it had low TXT release (<7% in 48h) and cytotoxicity (<14% in 96h) to both the normal and carcinoma skin cells. While under a UV with a dose much lower than physiological dose of normal sunlight, LDEDDS released around 60% and 90% of TXT in 1 and 48h. 1h UV treated LDEDDS removed up to 62% of cancer secreted epidermal growth factor (EGF), a model hydrophobic secretion in 96h. Consequently, 1h UV treated LDEDDS inhibited up to 60% of the growth of skin cancer cells in 96h, overriding those effects of the same concentration of TXT in in vitro cellular experiments. This is the first study to change tumor microenvironment by removal of cancerous secretion and is proved to be effective. Along with the superparamagnetic property, which provides potential for concentrating, increasing penetration and internalization into cancerated cells as well as removing from body under an external magnetic field, we predict LDEDDS will have potential applications in clinic skin cancer therapy.