Self-assembled nanoscale coordination polymers carrying siRNAs and cisplatin for effective treatment of resistant ovarian cancer

Resistance to the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin is a major limitation for the successful treatment of many cancers. Development of novel strategies to overcome intrinsic and acquired resistance to chemotherapy is of critical importance to effective treatment of ovarian cancer and other types of cancers. We have sought to re-sensitize resistant ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy by co-delivering chemotherapeutics and pooled siRNAs targeting multi-drug resistance (MDR) genes using self-assembled nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs). In this work, NCP-1 particles with trigger release properties were first constructed by linking cisplatin prodrug-based bisphosphonate bridging ligands with Zn2+ metal-connecting points and then coated with a cationic lipid layer, followed by the adsorption of pooled siRNAs targeting three MDR genes including survivin, Bcl-2, and P-glycoprotein via electrostatic interactions. The resulting NCP-1/siRNA particles promoted cellular uptake of cisplatin and siRNA and enabled efficient endosomal escape in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. By down-regulating the expression of MDR genes, NCP-1/siRNAs enhanced the chemotherapeutic efficacy as indicated by cell viability assay, DNA ladder, and flow cytometry. Local administration of NCP-1/siRNAs effectively reduced tumor sizes of cisplatin-resistant SKOV-3 subcutaneous xenografts. This work shows that the NCP-1/siRNA platform holds great promise in enhancing chemotherapeutic efficacy for the effective treatment of drug-resistant cancers.