Doxorubicin-Loaded PEG-CdTe Quantum Dots as a Smart Drug Delivery System for Extramedullary Multiple Myeloma Treatment

New drug treatments still do not improve the prognosis of extramedullary multiple myeloma (EMM) patients. Luckily, high-dose chemotherapy can raise the prognosis, but is intolerant to most patients because of drug cytotoxicity. Nanoparticles (NPs) are used as drug carriers to prolong drug circulation time, control drug release, reduce drug toxicity and bioavailability, and target specific sites. In this work, doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded in polyethylene glycol-modified cadmium telluride quantum dots (PEG-CdTe QDs). PEG-CdTe-DOX facilitated intracellular drug accumulation through polyethylene organizational compatibility and released DOX into the microenvironment in a pH-controlled manner, which enhanced the therapeutic efficacy and the apoptosis rate of myeloma cells (PRMI8226). PEG-CdTe-DOX improved the anti-tumor activity of DOX by regulating the protein expressions of apoptosis-associated genes. In summary, PEG-CdTe-DOX provides a specific and effective clinical treatment for EMM patients.