A versatile platform of magnetic microspheres loaded with dual-anticancer drugs for drug release

With the developing of biodegradable delivery system, the combined dual-anticancer drugs show new opportunities in cancer treatment. The aim of this study is to develop a dual anticancer delivery system (curcumin and doxorubicin) microspheres and to evaluation their magnetic properties and drug delivery. The hydrophilic drug (doxorubicin, DOX) and magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) was encapsulated in inner aqueous phase (W1) and hydrophobic drug (curcumin, Cur) was incorporated into inner oleic phase (0) by the double emulsification method. The total release time of doxorubicin and curcumin reached 50 h and 112 h. Magnetic property of microspheres showed that the saturated magnetization reached 27.9 emu/g. Furthermore, the experiments of cell viability and MTT cytotoxicity reveal that the micro spheres are effective and safe for anticancer in biomedical field. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.