Anti-platelet agents augment cisplatin nanoparticle cytotoxicity by enhancing tumor vasculature permeability and drug delivery

Tumor vasculature is critically dependent on platelet mediated hemostasis and disruption of the same can augment delivery of nano-formulation based chemotherapeutic agents which depend on enhanced permeability and retention for tumor penetration. Here, we evaluated the role of Clopidogrel, a well-known inhibitor of platelet aggregation, in potentiating the tumor cytotoxicity of cisplatin nano-formulation in a murine breast cancer model. In vivo studies in murine syngeneic 4T1 breast cancer model showed a significant greater penetration of macromolecular fluorescent nanoparticles after clopidogrel pretreatment. Compared to self-assembling cisplatin nanoparticles (SACNs), combination therapy with clopidogrel and SACN was associated with a 4 fold greater delivery of cisplatin to tumor tissue and a greater reduction in tumor growth as well as higher survival rate. Clopidogrel enhances therapeutic efficiency of novel cisplatin based nano-formulations agents by increasing tumor drug delivery and can be used as a potential targeting agent for novel nano-formulation based chemotherapeutics.