Alendronate/cRGD-Decorated Ultrafine Hyaluronate Dot Targeting Bone Metastasis

In this study, we report the hyaluronate dot (dHA) with multiligand targeting ability and a photosensitizing antitumor model drug for treating metastatic bone tumors. Here, the dHA was chemically conjugated with alendronate (ALN, as a specific ligand to bone), cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (cRGD, as a specific ligand to tumor integrin αvβ3), and photosensitizing chlorin e6 (Ce6, for photodynamic tumor therapy), denoted as (ALN/cRGD)@dHA-Ce6. These dots thus prepared (≈10 nm in diameter) enabled extensive cellular interactions such as hyaluronate (HA)-mediated CD44 receptor binding, ALN-mediated bone targeting, and cRGD-mediated tumor integrin αvβ3 binding, thus improving their tumor targeting efficiency, especially for metastasized MDA-MB-231 tumors. As a result, these dots improved the tumor targeting efficiency and tumor cell permeability in a metastatic in vivo tumor model. Indeed, we demonstrated that (ALN/cRGD)@dHA-Ce6 considerably increased photodynamic tumor ablation, the extent of which is superior to that of the tumor ablation of dot systems with single or double ligands. These results indicate that dHA with multiligand can provide an effective treatment strategy for metastatic bone tumors.

Gold Nanoparticles Bearing a Tumor pH-Sensitive Cyclodextrin Cap

We report functional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with a pH-sensitive γ-cyclodextrin (CD) cap. These particles include two chargeable CD molecules on their surface. CD with dopamine and amine (NH₂) groups (hereafter termed as dCD-NH₂) was anchored to the gold surface and then electrostatically complexed with the CD with 2,3-dimethylmaleic acid (DMA) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) (hereafter termed as cCD-DMA), producing an ionic complex consisting of dCD-NH₂ and cCD-DMA. Under the acidic environment (pH 6.8) existing in most solid tumors, the ionic complex was destabilized because of the decoupling of DMA, resulting in the release of cCD (without DMA) from the AuNPs, resulting in extensive tumoral uptake of AuNPs with dCD-NH₂ (because of their electrostatic attraction to tumor cells). This event resulted in a significant increase in the efficiency of cellular AuNP uptake and light-driven (AuNP-mediated photothermal and Ce6-mediated photodynamic) ablation of acidic solid tumors, suggesting marked potential for tumor therapy.

ROS-Responsive Chalcogen-Containing Polycarbonates for Photodynamic Therapy

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive polymers have attracted attention for their potential in photodynamic therapy. Herein, we report the ROS-responsive aliphatic polycarbonates prepared by the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of three six-membered cyclic carbonate monomers with ethyl selenide, phenyl selenide or ethyl telluride groups. Under catalysis of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), all three monomers underwent the controlled anionic ROP, showing a feature of equilibrium polymerization due to the bulky effect of 5,5-disubstituents. With PEG macroinitiator, three series amphiphilic block copolymers were prepared. They could form spherical nanoparticles of ∼100 nm, which were stable in neutral phosphate buffer but dissociated rapidly under triggering of H₂O₂. We studied the H₂O₂-induced oxidation profiles of selenide- or telluride-containing small molecules by ¹H NMR and revealed the factors that affect the oxidation kinetics and products. On this basis, the oxidative degradation mechanism of the copolymer nanoparticles has been clarified. Under the same oxidative condition, the telluride-containing nanoparticle degraded with the fastest rate while the phenyl selenide-based one degraded most slowly. These ROS-responsive nanoparticles could load photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) and anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Under red light irradiation, Ce6-sensitized production of ¹O₂ that triggered the degradation of nanoparticles, resulting in an accelerated payload release. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrate that the nanoparticles coloaded with DOX and Ce6 exhibited a synergistic cell-killing effect to MCF-7 cells, representing a novel responsive nanoplatform for PDT and/or chemotherapy.

ROS-responsive poly(ε-caprolactone) with pendent thioether and selenide motifs

Synthesis and oxidation properties of three chalcogen-containing ROS-responsive poly(ε-caprolactone)s have been reported.

A bacteria-activated photodynamic nanosystem based on polyelectrolyte-coated silica nanoparticles

A novel bacteria-activated photodynamic nanosystem (SiO₂/PAH–Ce6) has been reported for selective fluorescence sensing and photodynamic elimination of pathogenic bacteria.

pH-Responsive globular poly(ethylene glycol) for photodynamic tumor therapy

In this study, we report the development of extremely small-sized globular poly(ethylene glycol) (gPEG) that can specifically recognize tumor acidic pH. gPEG coupled with chlorin e6 (Ce6, a photosensitizing drug) and 2,3-dimethylmaleic acid (DMA, as a pH-responsive moiety) (gPEG-Ce6-DMA, particle size: 3-4nm in diameter) was easily dispersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) without any of the nanoparticle fabrication steps. We observed that gPEG-Ce6-DMA displayed pH-dependent zeta-potential changes due to coupling (at pH 7.4) or decoupling (at pH 6.8-6.0) of DMA. As a result, the uptake of gPEG-Ce6-DMA was significantly increased in tumors at acidic pH, likely due to the decoupling of DMA (backing cationic primary amines). As a result, the preferential cellular uptake of gPEG-Ce6-DMA at acidic pH allowed for a significant enhancement of in vitro/in vivo photodynamic tumor cell ablation under light illumination.

Preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with Y-shaped ligands for brain tumor targeting

In this study, we developed functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles for brain tumor targeting. The iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) particles were stabilized with pluronic F127 and coupled with dopamine-terminated Y-shaped ligands (Tat peptide and transferrin) as a result of the noncovalent conjugation of dopamine (of Y-shaped ligands) and the iron oxide nanoparticles. Here, the hydrophobic domain of pluronic F127 coated on the iron oxide nanoparticles enabled the absorption of a model photosensitizing antitumor drug (chlorin e6) in the core/shell interface of the nanoparticles. The experimental results demonstrated that the Y-shaped ligands on the nanoparticles enabled a significant enhancement of in vitro/in vivo cellular uptake for human primary glioblastoma U87-MG cells as a result of multivalent endocytosis by Y-shaped ligands (transferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis and the following Tat peptide-mediated cellular interaction). Furthermore, the Ce6-loaded nanoparticles showed significant enhancement of in vitro/in vivo photodynamic U87-MG cell ablation under light illumination.