MiR-375 delivered by lipid-coated doxorubicin-calcium carbonate nanoparticles overcomes chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and lethal disease that is characterized by drug resistance. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug and miR-375 has been shown to be a tumor suppressor in HCC. Here, we reported that miR-375 and DOX co-loaded into lipid-coated calcium carbonate nanoparticles (LCC-DOX/miR-375 NPs), enhanced the anti-tumor effects through combination therapy, and were highly effective in reversing drug resistance in HCC. LCC-DOX/miR-375 NPs were prepared by a reverse microemulsions method. In vitro, LCC-DOX/miR-375 NPs exhibited enhanced intracellular accumulation, pH-sensitive DOX release and potent cytotoxicity. In vivo, LCC-DOX/miR-375 NPs showed efficient antitumor effect both in xenograft and primary HCC murine models. Our results showed that the LCC-DOX/miR-375 nanoparticles provide a novel strategy to overcome the drug resistance and promote addictive effect between miR-375 and DOX in HCC.