Paclitaxel-loaded stabilizer-free poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles conjugated with quantum dots for reversion of anti-cancer drug resistance and cancer cellular imaging

We prepared the PLGA-loaded anti-cancer drug and coated it with quantum dots to make it a dual-function nanoparticles, and analyzed its potential use in cellular imaging and curing cancers. Two cancer cell lines, paclitaxel-sensitive KB and paclitaxel-resistant KB paclitaxel-50 cervical carcinoma cells, were the relativistic models for analysis of the cytotoxicity of free paclitaxel and paclitaxel-loaded PLGA conjugated with quantum-dot nanoparticles. The paclitaxel-loaded PLGA conjugated with quantum dots nanoparticles were significantly more cytotoxic than the free paclitaxel drug in paclitaxel-resistant KB paclitaxel-50 cells. This might have been because the cancer cells developed multi-drug resistance (MDR), which hampered the action of free paclitaxel by pumping its molecules to extracellular areas. Addition of verapamil, a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, reversed the MDR mechanism and significantly reduced KB paclitaxel-50 cell viability. As a result, KB paclitaxel-50 was highly associated with MDR on the cell membrane. The cytotoxicity results indicated that PLGA nanoparticles served as drug carriers and protected the drugs from MDR-accelerated efflux. Combined quantum dots with PLGA nanoparticles allowed additional functionality for cellular imaging.