Development of Thermo- and pH-Sensitive Liposomal Magnetic Carriers for New Potential Antitumor Thienopyridine Derivatives

The development of stimuli-sensitive drug delivery systems is a very attractive area of current research in cancer therapy. The deep knowledge on the microenvironment of tumors has supported the progress of nanosystems' ability for controlled and local fusion as well as drug release. Temperature and pH are two of the most promising triggers in the development of sensitive formulations to improve the efficacy of anticancer agents. Herein, magnetic liposomes with fusogenic sensitivity to pH and temperature were developed aiming at dual cancer therapy (by chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia). Magnetic nanoparticles of mixed calcium/manganese ferrite were synthesized by co-precipitation with citrate and by sol-gel method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy in transmission mode (STEM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The citrate-stabilized nanoparticles showed a small-sized population (around 8 nm, determined by XRD) and suitable magnetic properties, with a low coercivity and high saturation magnetization (~54 emu/g). The nanoparticles were incorporated into liposomes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesteryl hemisuccinate (DPPC:CHEMS) and of the same components with a PEGylated lipid (DPPC:CHEMS:DSPE-PEG), resulting in magnetoliposomes with sizes around 100 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) measurements were performed to investigate the pH-sensitivity of the magnetoliposomes' fusogenic ability. Two new antitumor thienopyridine derivatives were efficiently encapsulated in the magnetic liposomes and the drug delivery capability of the loaded nanosystems was evaluated, under different pH and temperature conditions.

PEGYLATION: an important approach for novel drug delivery system

PEGylation is the covalent addition of PEG to one more molecule. PEGylation can improve the maintenance time of the therapeutics similar to proteins, liposomes, and nanoparticle through shielding them beside different debasing mechanisms dynamic in a body that improve beneficial properties. This skill is used to get better half-life and other pharmaceutical properties of a protein, peptide, or non-peptide molecule. Polyethylene glycol is harmless, non-immunogenic, non-antigenic, and extremely soluble in water and FDA accepted polymer. It shows a significant role in drug delivery. A variety of PEG-based formulations are available in the market. This paper represents the benefits of PEGylation over non-PEGylated products. Now a day, PEGylation plays an important role in the drug delivery system. PEGylation increases the therapeutic potential of drugs.