Biogenic (R)-(+)-Lipoic Acid Only Constructed Cross-Linked Vesicles with Synergistic Anticancer Potency

Although the drug delivery systems (DDSs) hold great potential for cancer chemotherapy, the drug carriers themselves become redundant substances in the body, once the delivering task is finished. They not only have no therapeutic effect, but even can sometimes cause unexpectedly toxic and side effects, which confine seriously the clinical prospect of DDSs. Herein, a new drug container of cross-linked lipoic acid vesicles (cLAVs) constructed solely by biogenic (R)-(+)-lipoic acid (LA) is developed. Benefited from the structure homology with LA, the cLAVs are no longer the redundant substances after drug delivery, but LA-like “vitamins” with strong synergistic anticancer potency both in vitro and in vivo, and, thus represent a particularly powerful carrier for cancer chemotherapy.