Phase I study of paclitaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy for unresectable / recurrent gastric cancer

Co-encapsulation of paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil in folic acid-modified, lipid-encapsulated hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for synergistic breast cancer treatment

A dual-loaded multi-targeted drug delivery nanosystem was constructed to simultaneously load paclitaxel (PTX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for targeted delivery and sustained release at tumor sites. Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were prepared by the inverse microemulsion method, then modified with folic acid and pH- and temperature-responsive materials, co-loaded with PTX and 5-FU, and finally encapsulated into lipid membranes. The obtained nanosystem was selectively internalized by human breast cancer MCF-7 cells that overexpress folate receptors through an energy-dependent process, and it released both drugs in vitro in a simulated tumor microenvironment. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the dual-loaded nanoparticles was significantly better than that of the free drugs, suggesting that the composite nanosystem has the potential to selectively target tumor sites and perform the synergistic effect of PTX and 5-FU, while reducing their toxic effects on normal tissues.

Redox-sensitive micelles for targeted intracellular delivery and combination chemotherapy of paclitaxel and all-trans-retinoid acid

The application of paclitaxel (PTX) in clinic has been restricted due to its poor solubility. Several traditional nano-medicines have been developed to improve this defect, while they are still lack of tumor targeting ability and rapid drug release. In this work, an amphiphilic polymeric micelle of hyaluronic acid (HA) – all-trans-retinoid acid (ATRA) with a disulfide bond, was developed successfully for the co-delivery of PTX and ATRA. The combination chemotherapy of PTX and ATRA can strengthen the anti-tumor activity. Along with self-assembling to micelles in water, the delivery system displayed satisfying drug loading capacities for both PTX (32.62% ± 1.39%) and ATRA, due to directly using ATRA as the hydrophobic group. Rapid drug release properties of the PTX-loaded redox-sensitive micelles (HA-SS-ATRA) in vitro were confirmed under reducing condition containing GSH. Besides, HA-CD44 mediated endocytosis promoted the uptake of HA-SS-ATRA micelles by B16F10 cells. Due to these properties, cytotoxicity assay verified that PTX-loaded HA-SS-ATRA micelles showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and displayed obvious combination therapy of PTX and ATRA. Importantly, HA-SS-ATRA micelles could remarkably prolong plasma circulation time after intravenously administration. Therefore, redox-sensitive HA-SS-ATRA micelles could be utilized and explored as a promising drug delivery system for cancer combination chemotherapy.

Liposomes assembled from dimeric retinoic acid phospholipid with improved pharmacokinetic properties

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) exhibits potent cytotoxicities against different cancer cells by binding to retinoic acid receptors (RARs), which is regarded as the first example of targeted therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, its extensive clinical applications have been limited because of poor aqueous solubility, short half-life time and side effects. In this report, dimeric ATRA phosphorylcholine prodrug (Di-ATRA-PC) was designed and assembled into nanoliposomes to improve its pharmacokinetic properties. Di-ATRA-PC prodrug was synthesized by a facile esterification and characterized by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The Di-ATRA-PC assembled liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration method with ATRA loading efficiency up to 73wt%. The liposomes have a uniform particle size (73.1±3.6nm) with negatively charged surface (-20.5±2.5mV) and typical lipid bilayer structure as measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and cryogenic transmission electron microscope (cryo-TEM). In vitro drug release study confirmed that Di-ATRA-PC liposomes could sustainedly release free ATRA in a weakly acidic condition. Furthermore, cellular uptake, MTT and cell apoptosis analysis demonstrated that the liposomes could be successfully internalized into tumor cells to induce apoptosis of MCF-7 and HL-60 cells. More importantly, in vivo pharmacokinetic assay indicated that Di-ATRA-PC liposomes had much longer retention time in comparison with ATRA. In conclusion, Di-ATRA-PC liposomal formulation could be a potential drug delivery system of ATRA with enhanced pharmacokinetic properties.

Reduction/pH dual-responsive nano-prodrug micelles for controlled drug delivery

We provided a facile strategy to fabricate reduction/pH dual-responsive nano-prodrug micelles for controlled drug delivery.

Acid-triggered drug release from micelles based on amphiphilic oligo(ethylene glycol)–doxorubicin alternative copolymers

We prepared pH-sensitive amphiphilic oligo(ethylene glycol)–doxorubicin alternative conjugates for the controlled release of doxorubicin.

Efficient simultaneous tumor targeting delivery of all-trans retinoid acid and Paclitaxel based on hyaluronic acid-based multifunctional nanocarrier

An amphiphilic hyaluronic acid (HA)-g-all-trans retinoid acid (HRA) conjugate was successfully developed as a tumor-targeting nanocarrier for potentially synergistic combination chemotherapy of all-trans retinoid acid (ATRA) and paclitaxel (PTX). The HRA conjugate was synthesized by an imine reaction between HA-COOH and ATRA-NH2. PTX-loaded HRA nanoparticles possessed a high loading capacity, nanoscale particle sizes, and good biocompatible characteristics. Cell viability assays indicated that PTX-loaded HRA nanoparticles exhibited concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity. Moreover, they displayed obvious superiority in inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells. Cellular uptake analysis suggested that HRA nanoparticles could be efficiently taken up by cells via endocytic pathway and transport into the nucleus, contributing to HA receptor-mediated endocytosis and ATRA-induced nuclear translocation, respectively. Moreover, in vivo imaging analysis indicated that the accumulation of DiR-loaded HRA nanoparticles in tumor was increased obviously after intravenous administration as compared to free DiR solution, which confirmed that the HRA nanoparticles could assist the drugs targeting to the tumor. Furthermore, PTX-loaded HRA nanoparticles exhibited greater tumor growth inhibition effect in vivo with reducing the toxicity. Therefore, HRA nanoparticles can be considered as a promising targeted codelivery system for combination cancer chemotherapy.