Dual drug encapsulated thermo-sensitive fibrinogen-graft-poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) nanogels for breast cancer therapy

5-FU/Megestrol acetate loaded fibrinogen-graft-PNIPAAm Nanogels (5-FU/Meg-fib-graft-PNIPAAm NGs) were prepared for thermo responsive drug delivery toward α5β1-integrins expressing breast cancer cells in vitro (MCF-7 cells). The 60–100 nm sized fib-graft-PNIPAAm nanogels (LCST = 35 °C) were prepared by CaCl2 cross-linker. 5-FU/Meg-fib-graft-PNIPAAm NGs showed particle size of 165–195 nm size. The drug loading efficiency with 5-FU was 60% and 70% for Meg. “Drug release was greater above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Above LCST, drug release system triggers apopotosis and enhance toxicity to MCF-7 cells when compared to the equivalent dose of the free drug. This effect was due to the greater uptake of the drug by MCF-7 cells”. 5-FU/Meg-fib-graft-PNIPAAm NGs is portrayed here as a new combinatorial thermo-responsive drug delivery agent for breast cancer therapy.