Combination of Chemical and Physical Cancer Therapeutics Developed with Microcapsules Made of κ-Casein and Gold Nanoparticles in the Presence of Drug-Loaded Phase Change Materials

Tumor heterogeneity requires development of an anticancer system equipped with both chemical and physical therapeutics to eradicate cancer exhibiting drug resistance and clonal evolution into diverse tumor cells. Assortment of various toxic components into one platform without compromising their individual toxic activity remains a formidable task. Herein, a novel drug delivery system (DDS) exerting potent cytotoxicity toward cancer cells was fabricated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated with an innocuous self-assembly protein of κ-casein (κC). Pickering emulsions of the κC-AuNP conjugates in the presence of chloroform inside led to the κC-AuNP microcapsules being stabilized via robust β-sheet formation between κC molecules located on the single-layered shell made of κC-AuNPs. Phase change material (PCM) comprising a eutectic mixture of lauric acid and myristic acid with the melting p…