Cationic Amphiphilic Hybrid System for siRNA-Based Combination Strategy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Cameron Alexander – Full Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham; Claudia Conte – Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples; Fabiana Quaglia – Full Professor, Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples

Introduction:

Nanomedicines and combination therapy are gaining relevance in oncology due to synergistic anticancer effects, reduced toxicity, and the ability to overcome multidrug resistance (1). PEGylation prolongs nanoparticle (NP) circulation by limiting macrophage uptake but reduces cellular internalisation. Surface functionalisation with targeting ligands is required. Hyaluronan (HA) coatings target CD44 receptors overexpressed in breast cancer cells, overcoming PEG-related limits (2). The use of cationic lipids allows the obtaining of hybrid lipid–polymer NPs, which enable precise control over core and shell characteristics, allowing the co-delivery of multiple therapeutic agents (3).