Enhanced paclitaxel oral delivery by astragalus polysaccharide-based nanoplatform for triple-negative breast cancer...

Oral delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) is hindered by poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and gastrointestinal toxicity, limiting its clinical breast cancer treatment. Here, we developed a novel oral nanoplatform (APS-PTX NPs) using Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) as a self-assembling carrier. Without chemical modification, APS formed stable PTX-loaded nanoparticles, with high drug loading, excellent gastrointestinal stability, and 446.5-fold increased PTX solubility. In addition, APS-PTX NPs synergistically enhanced cytotoxicity of PTX and the pharmacokinetics of PTX in APS-PTX NPs suggesting the oral bioavailability of PTX was improved in vivo. Compared with TAXOL®, Lipusu® (PTX liposomes) and Abraxane (PTX albumin), APS-PTX NPs demonstrated the strongest anti-tumor activity in triple-negative breast cancer, with a tumor inhibition rate of 56.7%. In conclusion, APS-PTX NPs significantly improved the bioavailability and therapeutic outcome of PTX, offering a promising strategy for the development of oral chemotherapeutics for breast cancer.