title: RGD peptide targeted lipid-coated nanoparticles for combinatorial delivery of sorafenib and quercetin against hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Combination therapies provide a potential solution to address the tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance issues by taking advantage of distinct mechanisms of action of the multiple therapeutics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To design arginine-glycineaspartic acid (RGD) modified lipid-coated nanoparticles (NPs) for the co-delivery of the hydrophobic drugs against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  RGD modified lipid-coated PLGA NPs were developed for the targeted delivery of both sorafenib (SRF) and quercetin (QT) (RGD-SRF-QT NPs). Chemical-physical characteristics and release profiles were evaluated. In vitro cell viability assays were carried out on HCC cells. In vivo antitumor efficacies were evaluated in HCC animal model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of SRF and QT formulations was more effective than the single drug formulations in both NPs and solution groups. RGD-SRF-QT NPs achieved the most significant tumor growth inhibition effect in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The resulting NPs could provide a promising platform for co-delivery of multiple anticancer drugs for achievement of combinational therapy and could offer potential for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy on HCC.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hepatology , Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital , Ji'nan , Shandong , 250021 , P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Infectious Disease , Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital , Ji'nan , Shandong , 250021 , P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: c Department of Hepatology , Taian TCM Hospital , Taian , Shandong , 271000 , P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Chengsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: d Basic Medical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Ji'nan , Shandong , 250355 , P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Jianlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: e Department of Clinical Laboratory , Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital , Ji'nan , Shandong , 250021 , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chengbao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: e Department of Clinical Laboratory , Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital , Ji'nan , Shandong , 250021 , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guangying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuan
keywords: Combinatorial delivery; RGD peptide; hepatocellular carcinoma; lipid-coated nanoparticles; quercetin; sorafenib