151
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Weiss PS. More on Ethics and Scholarship. ACS NANO 2017; 11:10625-10626. [PMID: 29186751 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b08107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
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152
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Nehate C, Moothedathu Raynold AA, Koul V. ATRP Fabricated and Short Chain Polyethylenimine Grafted Redox Sensitive Polymeric Nanoparticles for Codelivery of Anticancer Drug and siRNA in Cancer Therapy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:39672-39687. [PMID: 29048878 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b11716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy, nanoparticle-mediated combinatorial delivery of siRNA and drugs represents a new approach to overcome its associated side effects. Designing safe and efficient vehicles for their codelivery has emerged as a potential challenge in the clinical translation of these formulations. Herein, we have demonstrated a novel "two-in-one" polyplex nanosystem developed from redox sensitive, short chain polyethylenimine modified poly[(poly(ethylene)glycol methacrylate]-s-s-polycaprolactone copolymer synthesized by atom-transfer free-radical polymerization (ATRP), which can deliver doxorubicin and polo-like kinase I (plk1) siRNA, simultaneously for an enhanced chemotherapeutic effect. The nanoparticles were found to be stable at physiological buffer with and without fetal bovine serum (FBS). The developed polymeric nanosystem was found to be biocompatible and hemocompatible in vitro and in vivo at repeated dose administrations. The polymer could easily self-assemble into ∼100 nm spherical nanoparticles with enhanced doxorubicin loading (∼18%) and effective siRNA complexation at a polymer to siRNA weight ratio of 15. The doxorubicin loaded nanoparticles exhibited ∼4-fold higher drug release in endosomal pH (pH 5) containing 10 mmol of GSH compared to pH 7.4, depicting their redox-sensitive behavior. The polyplexes were capable of delivering both cargos simultaneously to cancer cells in vitro as observed by their excellent colocalization in the cytoplasm of MDA-MB-231 and HeLa cells using confocal laser microscopy. Moreover, in vitro transfection of the cells with polyplexes exhibited 50-70% knockdown of plk1-mRNA expression in both cell lines. In vivo administration of the drug loaded polyplexes to EAT tumor bearing (EAT, Ehrlich ascites tumor) Swiss albino mice showed a ∼29-fold decrease in percent tumor volume in comparison to the control group. The results highlight the therapeutic potential of the polyplexes as a combined delivery of doxorubicin and plk1-siRNA in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetan Nehate
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi , New Delhi 110016, India
- Biomedical Engineering Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Aji Alex Moothedathu Raynold
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi , New Delhi 110016, India
- Biomedical Engineering Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Veena Koul
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi , New Delhi 110016, India
- Biomedical Engineering Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi 110029, India
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153
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Fan W, Yung B, Huang P, Chen X. Nanotechnology for Multimodal Synergistic Cancer Therapy. Chem Rev 2017; 117:13566-13638. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1059] [Impact Index Per Article: 151.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenpei Fan
- Guangdong
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging,
School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Key
Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education
and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Laboratory
of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Bryant Yung
- Laboratory
of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Peng Huang
- Guangdong
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging,
School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Laboratory
of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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154
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Wang C, Du L, Zhou J, Meng L, Cheng Q, Wang C, Wang X, Zhao D, Huang Y, Zheng S, Cao H, Zhang J, Deng L, Liang Z, Dong A. Elaboration on the Distribution of Hydrophobic Segments in the Chains of Amphiphilic Cationic Polymers for Small Interfering RNA Delivery. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:32463-32474. [PMID: 28862422 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Hydrophobization of cationic polymers, as an efficient strategy, had been widely developed in the structure of cationic polymer micelles to improve the delivery efficiency of nucleic acids. However, the distribution of hydrophobic segments in the polymer chains is rarely considered. Here, we have elaborated three types of hydrophobized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-blocked cationic polymers with different distributions of the hydrophobic segments in the polymer chains PEG-PAM-PDP (E-A-D), PEG-PDP-PAM (E-D-A), and PEG-P(AM/DP) (E-(A/D)), which were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of methoxy PEG, cationic monomer aminoethyl methacrylate, and pH-sensitive hydrophobic monomer 2-diisopropylaminoethyl methacrylate, respectively. In aqueous solution, all of the three copolymers, E-A-D, E-D-A, and E-(A/D), were able to spontaneously form nanosized micelles (100-150 nm) (ME-A-D, ME-D-A, and ME-(A/D)) and well-incorporated small interfering RNA (siRNA) into complex micelles (CMs). The effect of distributions of the hydrophobic segments on siRNA delivery had been evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Compared with ME-D-A and ME-(A/D), ME-A-D showed the best siRNA binding capacity to form stable ME-A-D/siRNA CMs less than 100 nm, mediated the best gene-silencing efficiency and inhibition effect of tumor cell growth in vitro, and showed better liver gene-silencing effect in vivo. In the case of ME-(A/D) with a random distribution of cationic and hydrophobic segments, a gene-silencing efficiency higher than Lipo2000 but lesser than ME-A-D and ME-D-A was obtained. As the mole ratio of positive and negative charges increased, ME-D-A/siRNA and ME-A-D/siRNA showed similar performances in size, zeta potential, cell uptake, and gene silencing, but ME-(A/D)/siRNA showed reversed performances. In addition, ME-A-D as the best siRNA carrier was evaluated in the tumor tissue in the xenograft murine model and showed good anticancer capacity. Obviously, the distribution of the hydrophobic segments in the amphiphilic cationic polymer chains should be seriously considered in the design of siRNA vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changrong Wang
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, China
| | | | - Junhui Zhou
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
| | | | | | - Chun Wang
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
| | | | | | - Yuanyu Huang
- Advanced Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology , Beijing 100081, China
| | | | | | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Liandong Deng
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zicai Liang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Anjie Dong
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300072, China
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155
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Yin J, Lang T, Cun D, Zheng Z, Huang Y, Yin Q, Yu H, Li Y. pH-Sensitive Nano-Complexes Overcome Drug Resistance and Inhibit Metastasis of Breast Cancer by Silencing Akt Expression. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:4204-4216. [PMID: 29158820 PMCID: PMC5695007 DOI: 10.7150/thno.21516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapy of breast cancer is encumbered by drug resistance and metastasis, which can be due to a defective PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This study was aimed at improving the anti-cancer effect of the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel (PTX) on the drug resistant and metastatic breast cancer by co-delivering PTX and a siRNA, siAkt, directed at silencing the Akt expression. Methods: The pH-sensitive amphiphilic polymer, poly [(1,4-butanediol)-diacrylate-β-N, N-diisopropylethylenediamine]-polyethyleneimine (BDP) was synthesized. The PTX-loaded BDP micelle/siAkt nano-complex (PMA) was prepared and characterized. The cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, RNA interference efficiency, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and biocompatibility of PMA in the murine metastatic breast cancer 4T1 cells and the 4T1 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated. Results: PMA was stable at the neutral as well as tumor extracellular pH and released the drugs in the intra-endo/lysosome acidic environment. In 4T1 cells, the RNA interference against the Akt gene down-regulated the expression of Akt and P-glycoprotein and up-regulated the expression of Caspase-3. The down-regulated P-gp inhibits the efflux of PTX thereby increasing its intracellular concentration, improving the cytotoxicity, and inhibiting the migration and invasion of 4T1 cells. In the 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, co-delivery of PTX and siAkt by PMA achieved a tumor inhibiting rate of 94.1% and suppressed 96.8% lung metastases. PMA did not cause pathological lesions in normal organs. Conclusion: PMA, by virtue of overcoming drug resistance and simultaneously restraining lung metastasis, might be an efficient drug delivery system for the therapy of breast cancer.
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156
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Du L, Zhou J, Meng L, Wang X, Wang C, Huang Y, Zheng S, Deng L, Cao H, Liang Z, Dong A, Cheng Q. The pH-Triggered Triblock Nanocarrier Enabled Highly Efficient siRNA Delivery for Cancer Therapy. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:3432-3445. [PMID: 28912886 PMCID: PMC5596434 DOI: 10.7150/thno.20297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies have been hampered by lack of delivery systems in the past decades. Nowadays, a few promising vehicles for siRNA delivery have been developed and it is gradually revealed that enhancing siRNA release from endosomes into cytosol is a very important factor for successful delivery. Here, we designed a novel pH-sensitive nanomicelle, PEG-PTTMA-P(GMA-S-DMA) (PTMS), for siRNA delivery. Owing to rapid hydrolysis in acidic environment, PTMS NPs underwent hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic transition in endosomes that enabled combination of proton sponge effect and raised osmotic pressure in endosomes, resulting in vigorous release of siRNAs from endosomes into cytosol. In vitro results demonstrated that PTMS/siRNA complexes exhibited excellent gene silencing effects in several cell lines. Their gene silencing efficiency could reach ~91%, ~87% and ~90% at the N/P ratio of 50/1 in MDA-MB-231, A549 and Hela cells respectively, which were better than that obtained with Lipofectamine 2000. The highly efficient gene silencing was then proven from enhanced siRNA endosomal release, which is mainly attributed to pH-triggered degradation of polymer and acid-accelerated siRNA release. In vivo experiments indicated that NPs/siRNA formulation rapidly accumulated in tumor sites after i.v. injection. Tumor growth was effectively inhibited and ~45% gene knockdown efficacy was determined at the siRRM2 dose of 1mg/kg. Meanwhile, no significant toxicity was observed during the whole treatment. We also found that PTMS/siRNA formulations could lead to significant gene silencing effects in liver (~63%) and skin (~80%) when injected by i.v. and s.c., respectively. This research work gives a rational strategy to optimize siRNA delivery systems for tumor treatments.
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157
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Kakkar A, Traverso G, Farokhzad OC, Weissleder R, Langer R. Evolution of macromolecular complexity in drug delivery systems. Nat Rev Chem 2017; 1:63. [PMID: 31286060 PMCID: PMC6613785 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-017-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Designing therapeutics is a process with many challenges. Even if the first hurdle - designing a drug that modulates the action of a particular biological target in vitro - is overcome, selective delivery to that target in vivo presents a major barrier. Side-effects can, in many cases, result from the need to use higher doses without targeted delivery. However, the established use of macromolecules to encapsulate or conjugate drugs can provide improved delivery, and stands to enable better therapeutic outcomes. In this Review, we discuss how drug delivery approaches have evolved alongside our ability to prepare increasingly complex macromolecular architectures. We examine how this increased complexity has overcome the challenges of drug delivery and discuss its potential for fulfilling unmet needs in nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Kakkar
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences, Department of Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Giovanni Traverso
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences, Department of Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Omid C Farokhzad
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Ralph Weissleder
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences, Department of Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
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158
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Álvarez-Rodríguez B, Latorre A, Posch C, Somoza Á. Recent advances in uveal melanoma treatment. Med Res Rev 2017; 37:1350-1372. [PMID: 28759124 DOI: 10.1002/med.21460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Recent advances in the understanding of molecular characteristics helped to determine which tumors are most likely to progress. About 50% of patients carrying genetic alterations such as chromosomal aberrations and mutations are at significant risk for metastatic disease of which the majority will succumb to UM within few months. Currently, there is no effective treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma, and we hope this review will encourage researchers and clinicians to work to find a better standard of care. In this article we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular framework of UM, highlighting the most common mutations involved in this kind of cancer. It also covers the most recent treatments from basic research to clinical trials, including small molecules, nucleic acids or immunotherapy, among others. It is intended to serve as a key reference for clinicians and researchers working in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Álvarez-Rodríguez
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), CNB-CSIC-IMDEA Nanociencia Associated Unit "Unidad de Nanobiotecnología,", Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Latorre
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), CNB-CSIC-IMDEA Nanociencia Associated Unit "Unidad de Nanobiotecnología,", Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Posch
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Vienna, Austria.,School of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Álvaro Somoza
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), CNB-CSIC-IMDEA Nanociencia Associated Unit "Unidad de Nanobiotecnología,", Madrid, Spain
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159
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Xu X, Saw PE, Tao W, Li Y, Ji X, Yu M, Mahmoudi M, Rasmussen J, Ayyash D, Zhou Y, Farokhzad OC, Shi J. Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Multistaged Nanoplatform for Systemic RNAi and Cancer Therapy. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:4427-4435. [PMID: 28636389 PMCID: PMC5615408 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b01571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
While RNA interference (RNAi) therapy has demonstrated significant potential for cancer treatment, the effective and safe systemic delivery of RNAi agents such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) into tumor cells in vivo remains challenging. We herein reported a unique multistaged siRNA delivery nanoparticle (NP) platform, which is comprised of (i) a polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface shell, (ii) a sharp tumor microenvironment (TME) pH-responsive polymer that forms the NP core, and (iii) charge-mediated complexes of siRNA and tumor cell-targeting- and penetrating-peptide-amphiphile (TCPA) that are encapsulated in the NP core. When the rationally designed, long circulating polymeric NPs accumulate in tumor tissues after intravenous administration, the targeted siRNA-TCPA complexes can be rapidly released via TME pH-mediated NP disassembly for subsequent specific targeting of tumor cells and cytosolic transport, thus achieving efficient gene silencing. In vivo results further demonstrate that the multistaged NP delivery of siRNA against bromodomain 4 (BRD4), a recently discovered target protein that regulates the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa), can significantly inhibit PCa tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoding Xu
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Phei Er Saw
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yujing Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiaoyuan Ji
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mikyung Yu
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Morteza Mahmoudi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan Rasmussen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dana Ayyash
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yuxiao Zhou
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Omid C. Farokhzad
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jinjun Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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160
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Wu J, Han H, Jin Q, Li Z, Li H, Ji J. Design and Proof of Programmed 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Prodrug Nanocarriers for Targeted Photodynamic Cancer Therapy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:14596-14605. [PMID: 28397487 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b15853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the precursor of photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), is a U.S. FDA-approved photodynamic therapeutic agent. However, realizing efficient delivery of ALA is still a big challenge as it is hydrophilic and cannot be recognized and selectively accumulated in tumor cells. In this study, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and pH dual-sensitive ALA prodrug nanocarriers were constructed as a programmed delivery strategy for the targeted delivery of ALA. The nanocarriers were prepared by the co-modification of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with hydrazone-linked ALA and MMP-2-activatable cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Cationic CPP RRRRRRRR (R8) was shielded by zwitterionic stealth peptide EKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEK (EK10) via MMP-2 substrate peptide PLGLAG. The zwitterionic stealth peptide EK10 is designed to endow ALA prodrug nanocarriers with strong antifouling ability and prolonged circulation time. Upon arriving at the tumor tissue, the shielded cationic CPP R8 can be activated by tumor-microenvironment-overexpressed MMP-2, which enabled enhanced cellular uptake of ALA. The results of drug loading and release, cellular uptake, PpIX generation and accumulation, photodynamic cytotoxicity, and photodynamic tumor inhibition demonstrated that such tumor-microenvironment-sensitive ALA prodrug nanocarriers could be considered as potential candidates for targeted photodynamic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jina Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Haijie Han
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Qiao Jin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Zuhong Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Huan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jian Ji
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027, China
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