Chitooligosaccharides-modified PLGA nanoparticles enhance the antitumor efficacy of AZD9291 (Osimertinib) by promoting apoptosis

The nano drug delivery system (NDDS) has been extensively investigated for cancer treatment because of its ability to enhance drug efficacy. However, there are only a few studies attempting NDDS for AZD9291 (Osimertinib). Here, we encapsulated AZD9291 in chitooligosaccharides (COS)-modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles. COS, a cationic polymer, was used to develop positively charged nanoparticles with good biological affinity. The prepared AZD-PLGA-COS NPs exhibited a smaller particle size (176.6 ± 0.4 nm), a positively charged surface (+18.65 ± 0.38 mV), and an increased cellular uptake. The IC50 of H1975 cells was reduced by 45.90%, and the expression of p-EGFR, PARP, Bak, caspase-9, Bax, and Bcl-2 was regulated to promote cellular apoptosis. Furthermore, COS was found to inhibit the expression of immune checkpoint PD-L1. This study suggests that COS-modified PLGA nanoparticles with low toxicity and high encapsulation efficiency (EE) could potentially enhance drug efficacy.