Simultaneous delivery of siRNA and paclitaxel via a "two-in-one" micelleplex promotes synergistic tumor suppression

Simultaneous delivery of Paclitaxel and Bcl-2 siRNA via pH-Sensitive liposomal nanocarrier for the synergistic treatment of melanoma

pH-sensitive drug carriers that are sensitive to the acidic (pH = ~6.5) microenvironments of tumor tissues have been primarily used as effective drug/gene/siRNA/microRNA carriers for releasing their payloads to tumor cells/tissues. Resistance to various drugs has become a big hurdle in systemic chemotherapy in cancer. Therefore delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and siRNA's targeting anti apoptotic genes possess advantages to overcome the efflux pump mediated and anti apoptosis-related drug resistance. Here, we report the development of nanocarrier system prepared from kojic acid backbone-based cationic amphiphile containing endosomal pH-sensitive imidazole ring. This pH-sensitive liposomal nanocarrier effectively delivers anti-cancer drug (Paclitaxel; PTX) and siRNA (Bcl-2), and significantly inhibits cell proliferation and reduces tumor growth. Tumor inhibition response attributes to the synergistic effect of PTX potency and MDR reversing ability of Bcl-2 siRNA in the tumor supporting that kojic acid based liposomal pH-sensitive nanocarrier as efficient vehicle for systemic co-delivery of drugs and siRNA.

One-step assembly of polymeric demethylcantharate prodrug/Akt1 shRNA complexes for enhanced cancer therapy

This report demonstrated a one-step assembly for co-delivering chemotherapeutics and therapeutic nucleic acids, constructed by integrating drug molecules into a nucleic acid condensing polymeric prodrug through degradable linkages. Demethylcantharate was selected as the model drug and pre-modified by esterifying its two carboxylic groups with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate. The synthesized demethylcantharate diacrylate was then used to polymerize with linear polyethyleneimine (PEI 423) through a one-step Michael-addition reaction. The obtained cationic polymeric demethylcantharate prodrug was used to pack Akt1 shRNA into complexes through a one-step assembly. The formed complexes could release the parent drug demethylcantharate and Akt1 shRNA through the hydrolysis of ester bonds. Cellular assays involving cell uptake, cytotoxicity, and cell migration indicated that demethylcantharate and Akt1 shRNA co-delivered in the present form significantly and synergistically suppress the growth and metastasis of three human cancer cells. This work suggests that incorporating drug molecules into a nucleic acid-packing cationic polymer as a polymeric prodrug in a degradable form is a highly convenient and efficient way to co-deliver drugs and nucleic acids for cancer therapy.

Combination Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: Orally Targeted Nanoparticles Prevent Mucosal Damage and Relieve Inflammation

Combination therapy is an emerging strategy that is under intensive preclinical investigation for the treatment of various diseases. CD98 is highly overexpressed on the surfaces of epithelial cells and macrophages in the colon tissue with ulcerative colitis (UC), which is usually associated with mucosal damage and inflammation. We previously proved that CD98 siRNA (siCD98)-induced down-regulation of CD98 in colitis tissue decreased the severity of UC to a certain extent. In an effort to further improve the therapeutic efficacy, we aim to simultaneously deliver siCD98 in combination with a potent anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin (CUR), using hyaluronic acid (HA)-functionalized polymeric nanoparticles (NPs). The resultant spherical HA-siCD98/CUR-NPs are featured by a desirable particle size (∼246 nm) and slightly negative zeta potential (∼-14 mV). The NPs functionalized with HA are able to guide the co-delivery of drugs to the targeted cells related to UC therapy (colonic epithelial cells and macrophages). Compared to either siCD98- or CUR-based monotherapy, co-delivery of siCD98 and CUR by HA-functionalized NPs can exert combinational effects against UC by protecting the mucosal layer and alleviating inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. This study shows the promising capability of the co-delivered siCD98 and CUR for boosting the conventional monotherapy via this novel nanotherapeutic agent, which offers a structurally simple platform for orally administered delivery of drugs to target cells in UC therapy.

Polyphosphoesters: New Trends in Synthesis and Drug Delivery Applications

Polymers with repeating phosphoester linkages in the backbone are biodegradable materials that emerge as a promising class of novel biomaterials, especially in the field of drug delivery systems. In contrast to aliphatic polyesters, the pentavalency of the phosphorus atom offers a large diversity of structures and as a consequence a wide range of properties for these materials. In this paper, it is focused on the synthesis of well-defined polyphosphoesters (PPEs) by organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization, improving the functionalities by combination with click reactions, degradation of functional PPEs and their cytotoxicity, and inputs for applications in drug delivery.

Delivery strategies and potential targets for siRNA in major cancer types

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has gained attention as a potential therapeutic reagent due to its ability to inhibit specific genes in many genetic diseases. For many years, studies of siRNA have progressively advanced toward novel treatment strategies against cancer. Cancer is caused by various mutations in hundreds of genes including both proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. In order to develop siRNAs as therapeutic agents for cancer treatment, delivery strategies for siRNA must be carefully designed and potential gene targets carefully selected for optimal anti-cancer effects. In this review, various modifications and delivery strategies for siRNA delivery are discussed. In addition, we present current thinking on target gene selection in major tumor types.

Recent progress in development of siRNA delivery vehicles for cancer therapy

Recent progress in RNA biology has broadened the scope of therapeutic targets of RNA drugs for cancer therapy. However, RNA drugs, typically small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), are rapidly degraded by RNases and filtrated in the kidney, thereby requiring a delivery vehicle for efficient transport to the target cells. To date, various delivery formulations have been developed from cationic lipids, polymers, and/or inorganic nanoparticles for systemic delivery of siRNA to solid tumors. This review describes the current status of clinical trials related to siRNA-based cancer therapy, as well as the remaining issues that need to be overcome to establish a successful therapy. It, then introduces various promising design strategies of delivery vehicles for stable and targeted siRNA delivery, including the prospects for future design.

Influence of carbon nanotubes and graphene nanosheets on photothermal effect of hydroxyapatite

Herein we present a successful strategy for enhancement of photothermal efficiency of hydroxyapatite (HAP) by its conjugation with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanosheets (GR). Owing to excellent biocompatibility with human body and its non-toxicity, implementation of HAP based nanomaterials in photothermal therapy (PTT) provides non-replaceable benefits over PTE agents. Therefore, in this report, it has been experimentally exploited that the photothermal effect (PTE) of HAP has significantly improved by its assembly with CNTs and GR. It is found that the type of carbon nanomaterial used to conjugate with HAP has influence on its PTE in such a way that the photothermal efficiency of GR-HAP was higher than CNTs-COOH-HAP under exposure to 980nm near-infrared (NIR) laser. The temperature attained by aqueous dispersions of both CNTs-COOH-HAP and GR-HAP after illuminating to NIR radiations for 7min was found to be above 50°C, which is beyond the temperature tolerance of cancer cells. So that the rise in temperature shown by both CNTs-COOH-HAP and GR-HAP is enough to induce the death of tumoral or cancerous cells. Overall, this approach in modality of HAP with CNTs and GR provide a great potential for development of future nontoxic PTE agents.

Nanoparticle-mediated co-delivery of chemotherapeutic agent and siRNA for combination cancer therapy

INTRODUCTION

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Current cancer treatments in the clinic mainly include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, with chemotherapy being the most common. Areas covered: Cancer treatments based on the single 'magic-bullet' concept are often associated with limited therapeutic efficacy, unwanted adverse effects, and drug resistance. The combination of multiple drugs is a promising strategy for effective cancer treatment due to the synergistic or additive effects. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has the ability to knock down the expression of carcinogenic genes or drug efflux transporter genes, paving the way for cancer treatment. Treatment with both a chemotherapeutic agent and siRNA based on nanoparticle (NP)-mediated co-delivery is a promising approach for combination cancer therapy. Expert opinion: The combination of chemotherapeutic agents and siRNAs for cancer treatment offers the potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy, decrease side effects, and overcome drug resistance. Co-delivery of chemical drug and siRNA in the same NP would be much more effective in cancer therapy than application of chemical agent or siRNA alone. With the development of material science, NPs have come to be the most widely used platform for co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and siRNAs.

Design Advances in Particulate Systems for Biomedical Applications

The search for more efficient therapeutic strategies and diagnosis tools is a continuous challenge. Advances in understanding the biological mechanisms behind diseases and tissues regeneration have widened the field of applications of particulate systems. Particles are no more just protective systems for the encapsulated drugs, but they play an active role in the success of the therapy. Moreover, particles have been explored for innovative purposes as templates for cells growth and as diagnostic tools. Until few years ago the most relevant parameters in particles formulation were the chemistry and the size. Currently, it is known that other physical characteristics can remarkably affect the performance of particulate systems. Particles with non-conventional shapes exhibit advantages due to the increasing circulation time in blood stream, less clearance by the immune system and more efficient cell internalization and trafficking. Creation of compartments has been found useful to control drug release, to tune the transport of substances across biological barriers, to supply the target with more than one bioactive agent or even to act as theranostic systems. It is expected that such complex shaped and compartmentalized systems improve the therapeutic outcomes and also the patient's compliance, acting as advanced devices that serve for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of the disease, combining agents of very different features, at the same time. In this review, we overview and analyse the most recent advances in particle shape and compartmentalization and applications of newly designed particulate systems in the biomedical field.

Folate-Functionalized Magnetic-Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Drug/Gene Codelivery To Potentiate the Antitumor Efficacy

An appropriate codelivery system for chemotherapeutic agents and nucleic acid drugs will provide a more efficacious approach for the treatment of cancer. Combining gene therapy with chemotherapeutics in a single delivery system is more effective than individual delivery systems carrying either gene or drug. In this work, we developed folate (FA) receptor targeted magnetic-mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the codelivery of VEGF shRNA and doxorubicin (DOX) (denoted as M-MSN(DOX)/PEI-FA/VEGF shRNA). Our data showed that M-MSN(DOX)/PEI-FA could strongly condense VEGF shRNA at weight ratios of 30:1, and possesses higher stability against DNase I digestion and sodium heparin. In vitro antitumor activity assays revealed that HeLa cell growth was significantly inhibited. The intracellular accumulation of DOX by confocal microscopy and fluorescence spectrophotometry showed that M-MSN(DOX)/PEI-FA were more easily taken up than nontargeted M-MSN(DOX). Quantitative PCR and ELISA data revealed that M-MSN/PEI-FA/VEGF shRNA induced a significant decrease in VEGF expression as compared to cells treated with either the control or other complexes. The invasion and migration phenotypes of the HUVECs were significantly decrease after coculture with MSN/PEI-FA/VEGF shRNA nanocomplexes-treated HeLa cells. The approach provides a potential strategy to treat cancer by a singular nanoparticle delivery system.

Prodrug Strategies for Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel is an anti-tumor agent with remarkable anti-tumor activity and wide clinical uses. However, it is also faced with various challenges especially for its poor water solubility and low selectivity for the target. To overcome these disadvantages of paclitaxel, approaches using small molecule modifications and macromolecule modifications have been developed by many research groups from all over the world. In this review, we discuss the different strategies especially prodrug strategies that are currently used to make paclitaxel more effective.

Dual responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for targeted co-delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic anticancer drugs to tumor cells

Dual responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) integrating stepwise tumor targeting and co-delivery of multiple anticancer drugs were developed to attenuate the drug resistance of cancer cells (SCC cells). The nano-composite consists of MSNs as nanocarrier I for hydrophobic drugs delivery, generation 2 PAMAM dendrimer (PAMAM-G2) as nanocarrier II for hydrophilic drug delivery and hyaluronic acid (HA) as a tumor targeting agent, which effectively encapsulated drug molecules and blocked their outward diffusion from the mesopores of the MSNs before selective accumulation around the tumor. The responsive drug releases happened with cap (HA and PAMAM-G2) removal following tumor targeting and cell endocytosis, which was triggered by two intracellular stimuli, a low pH value (hydrophilic drug release) and glutathione (hydrophobic drug release). The highly selective particle-uptake by tumor cells and subsequent efficient drug co-delivery to these cells, which were directly demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy, resulted in a fourfold efficacy against tumor cells compared with normal cells, as well as higher tumor cytotoxicity than that caused by free drugs. These results indicate that this MSNs-dendrimer-HA construct, with performance of selective drug co-delivery and dual responsive drug release, could be a promising platform for cancer therapy.

Nanocarriers for delivery of siRNA and co-delivery of siRNA and other therapeutic agents

A major problem in cancer treatment is the multidrug resistance. siRNA inhibitors have great advantages to solve the problem, if the bottleneck of their delivery could be well addressed by the various nanocarriers. Moreover, co-delivery of siRNA together with the various anticancer agents in one nanocarrier may maximize their additive or synergistic effect. This review provides a comprehensive summary on the state-of-the-art of the nanocarriers, which may include prodrugs, micelles, liposomes, dendrimers, nanohydrogels, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers and nucleic acid nanocarriers for delivery of siRNA and co-delivery of siRNA together with anticancer agents with focus on synthesis of the nanocarrier materials, design and characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation, and prospect and challenges of nanocarriers.

An overview of the effective combination therapies for the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is generally classified based on the receptors overexpressed on the cell nucleus, which include hormone receptors such as progesterone (PR) and estrogen (ER), and HER2. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of cancer that lacks any of these three types of receptor proteins (ER/PR/HER2). Tumor cells exhibit drug resistant phenotypes that decrease the efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatments. Generally, drug resistance has a genetic basis that is caused by an abnormal gene expression, nevertheless, there are several types of drug resistance: efflux pumps reducing the cellular concentration of the drug, alterations in membrane lipids that reduce cellular uptake, increased or altered drug targets, metabolic alteration of the drug, inhibition of apoptosis, repair of the damaged DNA, and alteration of the cell cycle checkpoints. The use of "combination therapy" is recognized as an efficient solution to treat human diseases, in particular, breast cancer. In this review, we give examples of different nanocarriers used to co-deliver multiple therapeutics (chemotherapeutic agent and nucleic acid) to drug-resistant tumor cells, and lastly, we give our recommendations for the future directions for the co-delivery treatments.

Novel polymer micelle mediated co-delivery of doxorubicin and P-glycoprotein siRNA for reversal of multidrug resistance and synergistic tumor therapy

Co-delivery of chemotherapeutics and siRNA with different mechanisms in a single system is a promising strategy for effective cancer therapy with synergistic effects. In this study, a triblock copolymer micelle was prepared based on the polymer of N-succinyl chitosan-poly-L-lysine-palmitic acid (NSC-PLL-PA) to co-deliver doxorubicin (Dox) and siRNA-P-glycoprotein (P-gp) (Dox-siRNA-micelle). Dox-siRNA-micelle was unstable in pH 5.3 medium than in pH 7.4 medium, which corresponded with the in vitro rapid release of Dox and siRNA in acidic environments. The antitumor efficacy of Dox-siRNA-micelle in vitro significantly increased, especially in HepG2/ADM cells, which was due to the downregulation of P-gp. Moreover, almost all the Dox-siRNA-micelles accumulated in the tumor region beyond 24 h post-injection, and the co-delivery system significantly inhibited tumor growth with synergistic effects in vivo. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of Dox-siRNA-micelles in tumor-targeting and MDR reversal, and provided a promising strategy to develop a co-delivery system with synergistic effects for combined cancer therapy.

Near Infrared-Guided Smart Nanocarriers for MicroRNA-Controlled Release of Doxorubicin/siRNA with Intracellular ATP as Fuel

In chemotherapy, it is a great challenge to recruit endogenous stimuli instead of external intervention for targeted delivery and controlled release; microRNAs are the most promising candidates due to their vital role during tumorigenesis and significant expression difference. Herein, to amplify the low abundant microRNAs in live cells, we designed a stimuli-responsive DNA Y-motif for codelivery of siRNA and Dox, in which the cargo release was achieved via enzyme-free cascade amplification with endogenous microRNA as trigger and ATP (or H(+)) as fuel through toehold-mediated strand displacement. Furthermore, to realize controlled release in tumor cells, smart nanocarriers were constructed with stimuli-responsive Y-motifs, gold nanorods, and temperature-sensitive polymers, whose surfaces could be reversibly switched between PEG and RGD states via photothermal conversion. The PEG corona kept the nanocarriers stealth during blood circulation to protect the Y-motifs against nuclease digestion and enhance passive accumulation, whereas the exposed RGD shell under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation at tumor sites facilitated the specific receptor-mediated endocytosis by tumor cells. Through modulating NIR laser, microRNA, or ATP expressions, the therapy efficacies to five different cell lines were finely controlled, presenting NIR-guided accumulation, massive release, efficient gene silence, and severe apoptosis in HeLa cells; in vivo study showed that a low dosage of nanocarriers synergistically inhibited the tumor growth by silencing gene expression and inducing cell apoptosis under mild NIR irradiation, though they only brought minimum damage to normal organs. The combination of nanomaterials, polymers, and DNA nanomachines provided a promising tool for designing smart nanodevices for disease therapy.

Mg(II)-Catechin nanoparticles delivering siRNA targeting EIF5A2 inhibit bladder cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo

Emerging evidence indicates that combination of two or more therapeutic strategies can synergistically enhance antitumor activity in cancer therapy. Here, we established a green method of generating nanocomposite particles that can be fabricated using catechin, a natural anti-cancer compound from green tea, and Mg(2+) in an easy one-step approach at room temperature. We show that Mg(II)-Catechin nanocomposite particles (Mg(II)-Cat NPs) have good biocompatibility and high cellular uptake also can load and effectively deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) into cells in vitro and to tumor site in vivo. Mg(II)-Cat NPs by themselves had tumor-suppression effects. When complexed with siRNA that targets oncogene eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2 (EIF5A2), Mg(II)-Cat/siEIF5A2 complex had further enhanced anti-tumor activity. Mechanistically, we show that Mg(II)-Cat/siEIF5A2 inhibits oncogenic PI3K/Akt signal pathway. More importantly, Mg(II)-Cat/siEIF5A2 had tumor suppression effect in a clinically-relevant rat in-situ bladder cancer model. Our studies demonstrated that combination of Mg(II)-Cat NPs and siRNA is a promising therapeutic modality of combining chemotherapy with gene therapy in order to afford higher therapeutic efficacy and provided a proof of principle for such modality in a pre-clinical setting.

Co-delivery of drugs and plasmid DNA for cancer therapy

Cancer is an extremely complex disease involving multiple signaling pathways that enable tumor cells to evade programmed cell death, thus making cancer treatment extremely challenging. The use of combination therapy involving both gene therapy and chemotherapy has resulted in enhanced anti-cancer effects and has become an increasingly important strategy in medicine. This review will cover important design parameters that are incorporated into delivery systems for the co-administration of drug and plasmid-based nucleic acids (pDNA and shRNA), with particular emphasis on polymers as delivery materials. The unique challenges faced by co-delivery systems and the strategies to overcome such barriers will be discussed. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of combination therapy using separate carrier systems versus the use of a single carrier will be evaluated. Finally, future perspectives in the design of novel platforms for the combined delivery of drugs and genes will be presented.

Poly[platinum(iv)-alt-PEI]/Akt1 shRNA complexes for enhanced anticancer therapy

Co-delivery of Akt1 shRNA and platinum(iv) prodrug using DP/Akt1 shRNA complexes for synergetic cancer inhibition.

Hyaluronic Acid Modified Hollow Prussian Blue Nanoparticles Loading 10-hydroxycamptothecin for Targeting Thermochemotherapy of Cancer

This paper reported the fabrication of a multifunctional nanoplatform by modifying hollow Prussian blue nanoparticles with hyaluronic acid grafting polyethylene glycol, followed by loading 10-hydroxycamptothecin for tumor-targeted thermochemotherapy. It was found that the surface modification of hollow Prussian blue nanoparticles with hyaluronic acid grafting polyethylene endowed a great colloidal stability, long blood circulation time and the capability for targeting Hela cells over-expressing the CD44 receptor. The obtained nanoagent exhibited efficient photothermal effect and a light triggered and stepwise release behavior of 10-hydroxycamptothecin due to the strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region. The investigations on the body weight change, histological injury and blood biochemical indexes showed that such nanoagent had excellent biocompatibility for medical application. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments proved that the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy through the agent of hyaluronic acid modified Prussian blue nanoparticles loading 10-hydroxycamptothecin could significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy compared with either therapy alone because of a good synergetic effect.

Rational Design of Polymeric Hybrid Micelles with Highly Tunable Properties to Co‐Deliver MicroRNA‐34a and Vismodegib for Melanoma Therapy

A polymeric hybrid micelle (PHM) system with highly tunable properties is reported to co‐deliver small molecule and nucleic acid drugs for cancer therapy; this system is structurally simple and easy‐to‐fabricate. The PHM consists of two amphiphilic diblock copolymers, polycaprolactone‐polyethylenimine (PCL‐PEI) and polycaprolactone‐polyethyleneglycol (PCL‐PEG). PHMs are rationally designed with different physicochemical properties by simply adjusting the ratio of the two diblock copolymers and the near neutral PHM‐2 containing a low ratio of PCL‐PEI achieves the optimal balance between high tumor distribution and subsequent cellular uptake after intravenous injection. Encapsulating Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitor vismodegib (VIS) and microRNA‐34a (miR‐34a) into PHM‐2 generates the VIS/PHM‐2/34a co‐delivery system. VIS/PHM‐2/34a shows synergistic anticancer efficacy in murine B16F10‐CD44+ cells, a highly metastatic tumor model of melanoma. VIS/PHM‐2/34a synergistically attenuates the expression of CD44, a vital receptor indicating the metastasis of melanoma. Intriguingly, inhibiting Hh pathway by VIS is accompanied by downregulation of CD44 expression, revealing that Hh signaling might be an upstream regulator of CD44 expression in melanoma. Thus, co‐delivery of miR‐34a and VIS demonstrates great potential in cancer therapy, and PHM offers a structurally simple and highly tunable platform for the co‐delivery of small molecule and nucleic acid drugs in tumor combination therapy.

Noncovalent Ruthenium(II) Complexes-Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites for Bimodal Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy with Near-Infrared Irradiation

To enhance the efficacy and optimize the treatment of cancers, the integration of multimodal treatment strategies leading to synergistic effects is a promising approach. The coassembly of multifunctional agents for systematic therapies has received considerable interest in cancer treatment. Herein, Ru(II) complex-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (Ru@SWCNTs) are developed as nanotemplates for bimodal photothermal and two-photon photodynamic therapy (PTT-TPPDT). SWCNTs have the ability to load a great amount of Ru(II) complexes (Ru1 or Ru2) via noncovalent π-π interactions. The loaded Ru(II) complexes are efficiently released by the photothermal effect of irradiation from an 808 nm diode laser (0.25 W/cm(2)). The released Ru(II) complexes produce singlet oxygen species ((1)O2) upon two-photon laser irradiation (808 nm, 0.25 W/cm(2)) and can be used as a two-photon photodynamic therapy (TPPDT) agent. Based on the combination of photothermal therapy and two-photon photodynamic therapy, Ru@SWCNTs have greater anticancer efficacies than either PDT using Ru(II) complexes or PTT using SWCNTs in two-dimensional (2D) cancer cell and three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) models. Furthermore, in vivo tumor ablation is achieved with excellent treatment efficacy under a diode laser (808 nm) irradiation at the power density of 0.25 W/cm(2) for 5 min. This study examines an efficacious bimodal PTT and TPPDT nanoplat form for the development of cancer therapeutics.

Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Drug Delivery and Cancer Therapy

The field of nanotechnology has led to the development of many innovative strategies for effective detection and treatment of cancer, overcoming limitations associated with conventional cancer diagnosis and therapy. Multifunctional nanoparticle systems can integrate imaging, targeting and treatment moieties on the surface and in the core, resulting in targeted delivery of the imaging or treatment modalities, specifically to the tumor. Multifunctional nanoparticles also enable simultaneous delivery of multiple treatment agents, resulting in effective combinatorial therapeutic regimens against cancer. In this review, various multifunctional nanoparticle systems that feature a variety of targeting moieties for in vitro and/or in vivo cancer imaging and therapy are discussed.

A supramolecular nanovehicle toward systematic, targeted cancer and tumor therapy

A supramolecular nanovehicle (denoted as SNV) was fabricated by encapsulating zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and doxorubicin (DOX) into a copolymer (PVP-b-PAA-g-FA), so as to achieve systematic and synergistic chemotherapy-photodynamic therapy (PDT), targeted tumor imaging and therapy. The sophisticated copolymer designed in this work can load the PDT photosensitizer (ZnPc) and chemotherapy drug (DOX) simultaneously, which exhibits an excellent performance in chemotherapy-PDT targeted cancer and tumor therapy for both in vitro studies performed with HepG2 cells and in vivo tests with mice. This work provides a new drug formulation with a chemotherapy-PDT synergistic effect by virtue of the supramolecular material design, which possesses the advantages of an ultra-low drug dosage and highly-efficient in vivo targeted tumor imaging/therapy.

Hyperbranched-hyperbranched polymeric nanoassembly to mediate controllable co-delivery of siRNA and drug for synergistic tumor therapy

This study reported a flexible nanoplatform constructed on the pH-dependent self-assembly of two kinds of hyperbranched polymers, and then validated its potency as the controllable siRNA/drug co-delivery vehicle for the combination of chemotherapy with RNA interfering (RNAi) therapy. By virtue of pH-reversible phenylboronate linking, phenylboronic acid-tethered hyperbranched oligoethylenimine (OEI600-PBA) and 1,3-diol-rich hyperbranched polyglycerol (HBPO) can be spontaneously interlinked together into a core-corona nanoconstruction. The special buildup of compactly clustering OEI600-PBA units around hydrophobic HBPO aggregate offered significant advantages over parent OEI600-PBA, including strengthened affinity to siRNA, ability of further loading anticancer drug, easier cellular transport, and acidity-responsive release of payloads. To evaluate the co-delivery capability, Beclin1 siRNA and antitumor DOX were used as the therapeutic models in order to suppress the post-chemotherapy survival of tumor cells caused by drug-induced autophagy. The nanoassembly-mediated single delivery of DOX displayed even better anticancer effects than free DOX, demonstrating the superiority of our pH-responsive nano-design. The nanoassembly-mediated co-delivery of siRNA together with DOX can effectively silence Beclin1 gene, suppress DOX-induced autophagy, and consequently provide strong synergism with a significant enhancement of cell-killing effects in cultured cancerous cells. The in vivo combinational treatment was shown to make the tumor more sensitive to DOX chemotherapy while displaying substantially improved safety as compared with the monochemotherapy.

A dual wavelength-activatable gold nanorod complex for synergistic cancer treatment

A multifunctional gold nanorod (AuNR) complex is described with potential utility for theranostic anticancer treatment. The AuNR was functionalized with cyclodextrin for encapsulation of doxorubicin, with folic acid for targeting, and with a photo-responsive dextran-azo compound for intracellular controlled drug release. The interaction of a AuNR complex with HeLa cells was facilitated via a folic acid targeting ligand as displayed in the dark-field images of cells. Enhanced anticancer efficacy was demonstrated through the synergistic combination of promoted drug release upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation and photothermal therapy upon infrared (IR) irradiation. This multifunctional AuNR-based system represents a novel theranostic strategy for spatiotemporal delivery of anticancer therapeutics.

Multifunctional nanocarriers for simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs in cancer treatment

Combination therapy for cancer patients is an important standard of care protocol because it can elicit synergistic therapeutic effects and reduce systemic toxicity by simultaneously modulating multiple cell-signaling pathways and overcoming multidrug resistance. Nanocarriers are expected to play a major role in delivering multiple drugs to tumor tissues by overcoming biological barriers. However, especially considering the different physical chemistry of chemotherapeutic drugs, it is highly desirable to develop a codelivery nanocarrier for controlled and targeted delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. This review reports the recent developments in various combinational drug delivery systems and the simultaneous use of combinational drug delivery systems with functional agents.

Co-delivery of chemosensitizing siRNA and an anticancer agent via multiple monocomplexation-induced hydrophobic association

Synergistic combination of gene targeting and chemotherapy by co-delivering siRNA and anticancer drugs has widely been investigated to develop siRNA-based therapeutics for cancer treatment. Despite clinical potential of this approach, big challenges still remain such as delivery efficiency or stability/biocompatibility of the siRNA delivery system. Here we report a simple and biocompatible co-delivering formulation based on a unique complexation method, i.e., multiple monocomplexation-induced hydrophobic association between Bcl-2 targeting siRNA and a monocationic anticancer agent (benzethonium chloride, BZT). A colloidal formulation of the hydrophobically associated multiple monocomplex (HMplex) composed of siRNA, BZT and Pluronic F-68 was spontaneously constructed by physical mixing of the ternary constituents. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the ternary HMplex with a low charge ratio (N/P=4) possesses a tightly complexed stable nanostructure with Pluronic surface and small colloidal size less than 10nm, which allowed for 1) suitable protection of siRNA in serum-rich physiological environment, 2) efficient intracellular transfection into the cytoplasm, and 3) successful peritumoral co-delivery into the tumor tissue with dense interstitial matrix. Compared to non-targeting HMplexes between scrambled siRNA and BZT, Bcl-2 targeting HMplexes enhanced significantly both mRNA down-regulation by siRNA and apoptosis induction by BZT, and thus greatly suppressed the tumor volume when administered to highly aggressive and resistant human breast cancer xenografts (MDA-MB-231) in mice. These results elucidate that the co-complexed siRNA and BZT were liberated by intracellular decomplexation to trigger a synergistically combined therapeutic action. The successful siRNA/chemodrug co-delivery in vivo via peritumoral route and the greatly promoted therapeutic efficacy thereby represent the clinical potential of HMplexes for adjuvant locoregional cancer treatment by gene-targeted combination therapy.

Charged group surface accessibility determines micelleplexes formation and cellular interaction

Micelleplexes are a class of nucleic acid carriers that have gained acceptance due to their size, stability, and ability to synergistically carry small molecules. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA gene regulator that is consists of 19-22 nucleotides. Altered expression of miRNAs plays an important role in many human diseases. Using a model 22-nucleotide miRNA sequence, we investigated the interaction between charged groups on the micelle surface and miRNA. The model micelle system was formed from methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide) (mPEG-PLA) mixed with methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide)-b-oligoarginine (mPEG-PLA-Rx, x = 8 or 15). Surface properties of the micelles were varied by controlling the oligoarginine block length and conjugation density. Micelles were observed to have a core-shell conformation in the aqueous environment where the PLA block constituted the hydrophobic core, mPEG and oligoarginine formed a hydrophilic corona. Significantly different thermodynamic behaviors were observed during the interaction of single stranded miRNA with micelles of different surface properties, and the resulting micelleplexes mediated substantial cellular association. Depending upon the oligoarginine length and density, micelles exhibited miRNA loading capacity directly related to the presentation of charged groups on the surface. The effect of charged group accessibility of cationic micelle on micelleplex properties provides guidance on future miRNA delivery system design.

Nanocarrier-mediated co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and gene agents for cancer treatment

The efficacy of chemotherapeutic drug in cancer treatment is often hampered by drug resistance of tumor cells, which is usually caused by abnormal gene expression. RNA interference mediated by siRNA and miRNA can selectively knock down the carcinogenic genes by targeting specific mRNAs. Therefore, combining chemotherapeutic drugs with gene agents could be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Due to poor stability and solubility associated with gene agents and drugs, suitable protective carriers are needed and have been widely researched for the co-delivery. In this review, we summarize the most commonly used nanocarriers for co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and gene agents, as well as the advances in co-delivery systems.

Co-delivery of protein and small molecule therapeutics using nanoparticle-stabilized nanocapsules

Combination therapy employing proteins and small molecules provides access to synergistic treatment strategies. Co-delivery of these two payloads is challenging due to the divergent physicochemical properties of small molecule and protein cargos. Nanoparticle-stabilized nanocapsules (NPSCs) are promising for combination treatment strategies since they have the potential to deliver small molecule drugs and proteins simultaneously into the cytosol. In this study, we loaded paclitaxel into the hydrophobic core of the NPSC and self-assembled caspase-3 and nanoparticles on the capsule surface. The resulting combination NPSCs showed higher cytotoxicity than either of the single agent NPSCs, with synergistic action established using combination index values.

Formulation of Anti-miR-21 and 4-Hydroxytamoxifen Co-loaded Biodegradable Polymer Nanoparticles and Their Antiproliferative Effect on Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The majority of breast tumors are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and hormone-dependent. Neoadjuvant anti-estrogen therapy has been widely employed to reduce tumor mass prior to surgery. Tamoxifen is a broadly used anti-estrogen for early and advanced ER+ breast cancers in women and the most common hormone treatment for male breast cancer. 4-Hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) is an active metabolite of tamoxifen that functions as an estrogen receptor antagonist and displays higher affinity for estrogen receptors than that of tamoxifen and its other metabolites. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a small noncoding RNA of 23 nucleotides that regulates several apoptotic and tumor suppressor genes and contributes to chemoresistance in numerous cancers, including breast cancer. The present study investigated the therapeutic potential of 4-OHT and anti-miR-21 coadministration in an attempt to combat tamoxifen resistance, a common problem often encountered in anti-estrogen therapy. A biodegradable poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG-COOH) copolymer was utilized as a carrier to codeliver 4-OHT and anti-miR-21 to ER+ breast cancer cells. 4-OHT and anti-miR-21 co-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticles (NPs) were developed using emulsion-diffusion evaporation (EDE) and water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsion methods. The EDE method was found to be best method for 4-OHT loading, and the w/o/w method proved to be more effective for coloading NPs with anti-miR-21 and 4-OHT. The optimal NPs, which were prepared using the double emulsion method, were evaluated for their antiproliferative and apoptotic effects against MCF7, ZR-75-1, and BT-474 human breast cancer cells as well as against 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma cells. We demonstrated that PLGA-b-PEG NP encapsulation significantly extended 4-OHT’s stability and biological activity compared to that of free 4-OHT. MTT assays indicated that treatment of MCF7 cells with 4-OHT–anti-miR-21 co-loaded NPs resulted in dose-dependent antiproliferative effects at 24 h, which was significantly higher than what was achieved with free 4-OHT at 48 and 72 h post-treatment. Cell proliferation analysis showed that 4-OHT and anti-miR-21 co-loaded NPs significantly inhibited MCF-7 cell growth compared to that of free 4-OHT (1.9-fold) and untreated cells (5.4-fold) at 1 μM concentration. The growth rate of MCF7 cells treated with control NPs or NPs loaded with anti-miR-21 showed no significant difference from that of untreated cells. These findings demonstrate the utility of the PLGA-b-PEG polymer NPs as an effective nanocarrier for co-delivery of anti-miR-21 and 4-OHT as well as the potential of this drug combination for use in the treatment of ER+ breast cancer.