A New Approach to Deliver Anti-cancer Nanodrugs with Reduced Off-target Toxicities and Improved Efficiency by Temporarily Blunting the Reticuloendothelial System with Intralipid

We have developed a new strategy to temporarily blunt the reticuloendothelial system uptake of nanodrugs, a major challenge for nanodrug delivery and causing off-target toxicities, using an FDA approved nutrition supplement, Intralipid. We have tested our methodology in rats using an experimental platinum-containing anti-cancer nanodrug and three FDA approved nanodrugs, Abraxane, Marqibo, and Onivyde, to determine their toxicities in liver, spleen, and kidney, with and without the addition of Intralipid. Our method illustrates its potentials to deliver nanodrugs with an increase in the bioavailability and a decrease in toxicities. Our study shows that Intralipid treatment exhibits no harmful effect on tumor growing and no negative effect on the anti-tumor efficacy of the platinum-containing nanodrug, as well as animal survival rate in a HT-29 xenograft mouse model. Our methodology could also be a valuable complement/supplement to the “stealth” strategies. Our approach is a general one applicable to any approved and in-development nanodrugs without additional modification of the nanodrugs, thus facilitating its translation to clinical settings.