Milk derived colloid as a novel drug delivery carrier for breast cancer

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer has an extremely poor prognosis when chemotherapy is no longer effective. To overcome drug resistance, novel drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles have had remarkable success. We produced a novel nanoparticle component 'MDC' from milk-derived colloid. In order to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of MDC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments on cancer cell lines and a primary tumor derived breast xenograft. Doxorubicin (Dox) conjugated to MDC (MDC-Dox) showed higher cancer cell growth inhibition than MDC alone especially in cell lines with high EGFR expression. In a mouse melanoma model, MDC-Dox significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared with free Dox. Moreover, in a primary tumor derived breast xenograft, one of the mice treated with MDC-Dox showed partial regression, while mice treated with free Dox failed to show any suppression of tumor growth. We have shown that a novel nanoparticle compound made of simple milk-derived colloid has the capability for drug conjugation, and serves as a tumor-specific carrier of anti-cancer drugs. Further research on its safety and ability to carry various anti-cancer drugs into multiple drug-resistant primary breast models is warranted.

Highlight report: Diploptera functata (cockroach) milk as next superfood

“…It is known that milk contributes to the prevention of certain diseases and reduces certain threats to health. Several authors mention milk in association with a reduction in risk of cancer, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes (Elfahri et al, 2016[ 6 ]; Hayashi et al, 2015[ 7 ]; Hove et al, 2015[ 8 ]; Lamb et al, 2015[ 9 ]; Munblit et al, 2017[ 10 ]; O'Shea et al, 2000[ 11 ]; Pereira and Vicente, 2018[ 12 ]; Shori, 2015[ 13 ]; Tsuda et al, 2000[ 14 ]; Xiao et al, 2018[ 16 ]; Yang et al, 2017[ 17 ]; Chen et al, 2014[ 4 ]). Needless to say, it is unknown the extent to which cockroach milk shares these qualities with mammalian milk and that will be an important topic for future research.…”