Chitosan – dextran phosphate carbamate hydrogels for locally controlled co-delivery of doxorubicin and indomethacin: From computation study to in vivo pharmacokinetics

The development of synergistic drug combinations is a promising strategy for effective cancer suppression. Here, we report all-polysaccharide biodegradable polyelectrolyte complex hydrogels (DPCS) based on dextran phosphate carbamate (DP) and chitosan (CS) for controlled co-delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin (IND). IND can induce more apoptosis in tumor cells by reducing the level of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1. Based on calculations using density functional theory and zeta potential analysis data, carriers with high drug loading were obtained. The release profile of both drugs from the hydrogels was tuned by changing the molecular weight and functional groups content of the polysaccharides. The optimized DPCS showed a steady release of DOX both in vitro and in vivo, and a gradual release of IND, which constantly induced the action of DOX. Considering all of these benefits, DOX- and IND-loaded DPCS offer a promising long-acting polysaccharide-based antitumor platform.