Alginate-functionalized and PEGylated niosomes co-encapsulating letrozole and berberine for preclinical breast cancer therapy: Overcoming multidrug resistance.

of coated niosomes was much lower than the uncoated formulation and free drugs for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, coated niosomal formulations significantly increased the rate of apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest compared to uncoated niosomes. Also, gene expressions of Bax and caspase 3/8/9 increased while the gene expression of Bcl2 (anti-apoptotic) decreased after treatment with coated niosomes compared to uncoated ones. Taken together, this preliminary research indicated that the co-delivery of Let and Ber through coated niosomal formulations (Nio-Let/Ber@PEG and Nio-Let/Ber@AL) was an efficient controlled dual-drug delivery system to increase the effectiveness of breast cancer therapy.