An injectable PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel for combined chemodynamic and chemotherapy of tumors.

Nowadays, chemotherapy is a common clinical treatment for cancer, but it still faces many limitations and challenges. Therefore, the combination of chemotherapy and other treatments often enhances the effectiveness of treatments. Herein, an injectable hydrogel of PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX based on Cu 2+ , hydrophilic DOX, and genetically engineered polypeptide PC 10 ARGD was prepared. First, Cu 2+ was attached to the histidines in the PC 10 ARGD polypeptide by the coordination reaction to form PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ hydrogel, then the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel was prepared by encapsulating the DOX into the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ hydrogel. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel displayed loose porous morphology. In vitro ROS production results showed that the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel could continuously produce ·OH in the presence of H 2 O 2 . In vitro MTT results showed that the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel had a good inhibitory effect on cell activity. Flow cytometry further confirmed the anti-tumor effect of the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel. In vivo experiment results showed that the tumor volume of mice treated with the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel was significantly inhibited compared with control groups, which was due to the combination of chemodynamic and chemotherapy. The results of body weight and blood analysis of mice showed that the PC 10 ARGD/Cu 2+ /DOX hydrogel possessed good biocompatibility.