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Original Article | Open Access

Cancer Drug Resistance

Wang et al. Cancer Drug Resist. 2026;9:8 DOI:10.20517/cdr.2025.196

Conjugated oligoelectrolytes overcome cancer drug
resistance by dual-mode lysosomal membrane
disruption

Lingna Wang 1,2,3 , Yufei Mao , Yu Dong , Manqi Tan , Xingyu Wang , Zhaobo Liu , Chenyao Nie , Shu
2,4
4
2,4
2,5
2,4
2,3
Xing , Meng Li , Haitao Yuan , Bing Wang 2,3
6
2,3
2,3
Keywords:
Membrane-intercalating
conjugated oligoelectrolytes,
lysosomal membrane
permeabilization, drug
resistance, combination
therapy
Citation: Wang L, Mao Y,
Dong Y, Tan M, Wang X,
Liu Z, Nie C, Xing S, Li M,
Yuan H, Wang B. Conjugated
oligoelectrolytes overcome
cancer drug resistance by
dual-mode lysosomal
membrane disruption.
Cancer Drug Resist. 2026;9:8.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517
/cdr.2025.196
Abstract
Received: 30 Oct 2025 Aim: Multidrug resistance (MDR) often arises from lysosomal sequestration of
First Decision: 14 Jan chemotherapeutics. This study aims to design and evaluate lysosome-targeting
2026 membrane-intercalating conjugated oligoelectrolytes (MICOEs) for their potential to
Revised: 11 Feb 2026
Accepted: 5 Mar 2026 reverse MDR via dual-mode lysosomal membrane disruption, and to identify the most
Published: 20 Mar 2026 effective candidate.
Academic Editor:
Elisa Giovannetti Methods: Three MICOEs featuring a pyridothiadiazole-thienothiophene-pyridothiadiazole
Copy Editor: (PTTP) conjugated backbone with quaternary ammonium-terminated 4-, 6-, and 8-carbon
Pei-Yun Wang alkyl chains at both ends (PTTP-DC4, PTTP-DC6, PTTP-DC8) were synthesized and
Production Editor: characterized. Their photophysical properties, cellular uptake, and sublocalization were
Pei-Yun Wang
assessed in doxorubicin (DOX)-resistant Michigan Cancer Foundation-7/adriamycin-
resistant (MCF-7/ADR) cells. Lysosomal integrity and contents release were evaluated

1 Ningbo Institute for Drug Control, Ningbo 315048, Zhejiang, China.
2 Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang, China.
3 Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo 315300, Zhejiang, China.
4 Cixi Biomedical Research Institute, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 315302, Zhejiang, China.
5 College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.
6 Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical
Preparations, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China.
Correspondence to: Prof. Meng Li, Prof. Bing Wang, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of
Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang, China. E-mail: limeng@nimte.ac.cn;
wangbing@nimte.ac.cn; Prof. Haitao Yuan, Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for
www.oaepublish.com Submit a Manuscript: https://ucenter.oaepublish.com
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