Functional poly(l-lysine) derivative nanogels with acidic pH-pulsed antitumor drug release properties

Synergistic photodynamic therapeutic effect of indole-3-acetic acid using a pH sensitive nano-carrier based on poly(aspartic acid-graft-imidazole)-poly(ethylene glycol)

Poly(aspartic acid-graft-imidazole)-poly(ethylene glycol) (P(Asp-g-Im)-PEG) was utilized as a pH-sensitive nanocarrier of the photosensitizer indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) for the treatment of skin cancer. IAA loaded micelles (ILMs) exhibited the formation of ca. 140 nm spherical particles at pH 7.4. The micelles disintegrated at acidic pHs, resulting in pH-dependent IAA release and cytotoxicity. Treatment of ILMs with visible light at a wavelength of 480 nm caused pH dependent synergistic cell damage in both in vitro and in vivo models using the B16F10 melanoma cell line. Interestingly, ILMs synergistically produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) at an acidic pH of 6.5 with visible light irradiation by proton coupled electron transfer (PCET). The pH sensitive ILMs could be considered a potent nanomedicine used to exert synergistic photodynamic therapeutic effects to treat cancers.

Electrosprayed nanocomposites based on hyaluronic acid derivative and Soluplus for tumor-targeted drug delivery

Nanocomposite (NC) based on hyaluronic acid-ceramide (HACE) and Soluplus (SP) was fabricated by electrospraying for the tumor-targeted delivery of resveratrol (RSV). Amphiphilic property of both HACE and SP has been used to entrap RSV in the internal cavity of NC. Electrospraying with established experimental conditions produced HACE/SP/RSV NC with 230nm mean diameter, narrow size distribution, negative zeta potential, and >80% drug entrapment efficiency. Sustained and pH-dependent drug release profiles were observed in drug release test. Cellular uptake efficiency of HACE/SP NC was higher than that of SP NC, mainly based on HA-CD44 receptor interaction, in MDA-MB-231 (CD44 receptor-positive human breast cancer) cells. Selective tumor targetability of HACE/SP NC, compared to SP NC, was also confirmed in MDA-MB-231 tumor-xenograted mouse model using a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging. According to the results of pharmacokinetic study in rats, decreased in vivo clearance and increased half-life of RSV in NC group, compared to drug solution group, were shown. Given that these experimental results, developed HACE/SP NC can be a promising theranostic nanosystem for CD44 receptor-expressed cancers.

Iodinated hyaluronic acid oligomer-based nanoassemblies for tumor-targeted drug delivery and cancer imaging

Nano-sized self-assemblies based on amphiphilic iodinated hyaluronic acid (HA) were developed for use in cancer diagnosis and therapy. 2,3,5-Triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) was conjugated to an HA oligomer as a computed tomography (CT) imaging modality and a hydrophobic residue. Nanoassembly based on HA-TIBA was fabricated for tumor-targeted delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). Cellular uptake of DOX from nanoassembly, compared to a DOX solution group, was enhanced via an HA-CD44 receptor interaction, and subsequently, the in vitro antitumor efficacy of DOX-loaded nanoassembly was improved in SCC7 (CD44 receptor positive squamous cell carcinoma) cells. Cy5.5, a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dye, was attached to the HA-TIBA conjugate and the in vivo tumor targetability of HA-TIBA nanoassembly, which is based on the interaction between HA and CD44 receptor, was demonstrated in a NIRF imaging study using an SCC7 tumor-xenografted mouse model. Tumor targeting and cancer diagnosis with HA-TIBA nanoassembly were verified in a CT imaging study using the SCC7 tumor-xenografted mouse model. In addition to efficient cancer diagnosis using NIRF and CT imaging modalities, improved antitumor efficacies were shown. HA and TIBA can be used to produce HA-TIBA nanoassembly that may be a promising theranostic nanosystem for cancers that express the CD44 receptor.