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Negut I, Bita B. Polymersomes as Innovative, Stimuli-Responsive Platforms for Cancer Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:463. [PMID: 38675124 PMCID: PMC11053450 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This review addresses the urgent need for more targeted and less toxic cancer treatments by exploring the potential of multi-responsive polymersomes. These advanced nanocarriers are engineered to deliver drugs precisely to tumor sites by responding to specific stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, hypoxia, and redox conditions, thereby minimizing the side effects associated with traditional chemotherapy. We discuss the design, synthesis, and recent applications of polymersomes, emphasizing their ability to improve therapeutic outcomes through controlled drug release and targeted delivery. Moreover, we highlight the critical areas for future research, including the optimization of polymersome-biological interactions and biocompatibility, to facilitate their clinical adoption. Multi-responsive polymersomes emerge as a promising development in nanomedicine, offering a pathway to safer and more effective cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Negut
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 077125 Magurele, Romania;
| | - Bogdan Bita
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 077125 Magurele, Romania;
- National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele, Romania
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Fonseca M, Jarak I, Victor F, Domingues C, Veiga F, Figueiras A. Polymersomes as the Next Attractive Generation of Drug Delivery Systems: Definition, Synthesis and Applications. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:319. [PMID: 38255485 PMCID: PMC10817611 DOI: 10.3390/ma17020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Polymersomes are artificial nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly process of amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks. They can encapsulate hydrophilic molecules in the aqueous core and hydrophobic molecules within the membrane. The composition of block copolymers can be tuned, enabling control of characteristics and properties of formed polymersomes and, thus, their application in areas such as drug delivery, diagnostics, or bioimaging. The preparation methods of polymersomes can also impact their characteristics and the preservation of the encapsulated drugs. Many methods have been described, including direct hydration, thin film hydration, electroporation, the pH-switch method, solvent shift method, single and double emulsion method, flash nanoprecipitation, and microfluidic synthesis. Considering polymersome structure and composition, there are several types of polymersomes including theranostic polymersomes, polymersomes decorated with targeting ligands for selective delivery, stimuli-responsive polymersomes, or porous polymersomes with multiple promising applications. Due to the shortcomings related to the stability, efficacy, and safety of some therapeutics in the human body, polymersomes as drug delivery systems have been good candidates to improve the quality of therapies against a wide range of diseases, including cancer. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy can be improved by using polymersomes to deliver the drugs, protecting and directing them to the exact site of action. Moreover, this approach is also promising for targeted delivery of biologics since they represent a class of drugs with poor stability and high susceptibility to in vivo clearance. However, the lack of a well-defined regulatory plan for polymersome formulations has hampered their follow-up to clinical trials and subsequent market entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Fonseca
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
| | - Ivana Jarak
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Francis Victor
- Department of Pharmacy, University Chenab Gujarat, Punjab 50700, Pakistan;
| | - Cátia Domingues
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ. Coimbra, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Veiga
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Figueiras
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Kozlovskaya V, Ducharme M, Dolmat M, Omweri JM, Tekin V, Lapi SE, Kharlampieva E. Direct Radiolabeling of Trastuzumab-Targeting Triblock Copolymer Vesicles with 89Zr for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1784-1797. [PMID: 36926842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Radiolabeled drug nanocarriers that can be easily imaged via positron emission tomography (PET) are highly significant as their in vivo outcome can be quantitatively PET-traced with high sensitivity. However, typical radiolabeling of most PET-guided theranostic vehicles utilizes modification with chelator ligands, which presents various challenges. In addition, unlike passive tumor targeting, specific targeting of drug delivery vehicles via binding affinity to overexpressed cancer cell receptors is crucial to improve the theranostic delivery to tumors. Herein, we developed 89Zr-labeled triblock copolymer polymersomes of 60 nm size through chelator-free radiolabeling. The polymersomes are assembled from poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)5-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane)30-b-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)5 (PVPON5-PDMS30-PVPON5) triblock copolymers followed by adsorption of a degradable tannin, tannic acid (TA), on the polymersome surface through hydrogen bonding. TA serves as an anchoring layer for both 89Zr radionuclide and targeting recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Tmab). Unlike bare PVPON5-PDMS30-PVPON5 polymersomes, TA- and Tmab-modified polymersomes demonstrated a high radiochemical yield of more than 95%. Excellent retention of 89Zr by the vesicle membrane for up to 7 days was confirmed by PET in vivo imaging. Animal biodistribution using healthy BALB/c mice confirmed the clearance of 89Zr-labeled polymersomes through the spleen and liver without their accumulation in bone, unlike the free nonbound 89Zr radiotracer. The 89Zr-radiolabeled polymersomes were found to specifically target BT474 HER2-positive breast cancer cells via the Tmab-TA complex on the vesicle surface. The noncovalent Tmab anchoring to the polymersome membrane can be highly advantageous for nanoparticle modification compared to currently developed covalent methods, as it allows easy and quick integration of a broad range of targeting proteins. Given the ability of these polymersomes to encapsulate and release anticancer therapeutics, they can be further expanded as precision-targeted therapeutic carriers for advancing human health through highly effective drug delivery strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Kozlovskaya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Maxwell Ducharme
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Maksim Dolmat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - James M Omweri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Volkan Tekin
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Suzanne E Lapi
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Eugenia Kharlampieva
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
- Center for Nanomaterials and Biointegration, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
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Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam-co-2-(diethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) coated Fe3O4@SiO2 core-shell magnetic nanoparticles for controlled doxorubicin delivery. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Fabrication of Polymersomes: A Macromolecular Architecture in Nanotherapeutics. CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/chemistry4030070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In consideration of the issues of drug delivery systems, the artificial vesicle structures composed of block copolymers called polymersomes recently gained considerable attention. The possibility of tuning the mechanical parameter and increasing the scale-up production of polymersomes led to its wide application in healthcare. Bearing in mind the disease condition, the structure and properties of the polymersomes could be tuned to serve the purpose. Furthermore, specific ligands can be incorporated on the vesicular surface to induce smart polymersomes, thus improving targeted delivery. The synthesis method and surface functionalization are the two key aspects that determine the versatility of biological applications as they account for stability, specific targeting, degradability, biocompatibility, and bioavailability. A perfectly aligned polymer vesicle can mimic the cells/organelles and function by avoiding cytotoxicity. This supramolecular structure can carry and deliver payloads of a wide range, including drugs, proteins, and genes, contributing to the construction of next-generation therapeutics. These aspects promote the potential use of such components as a framework to approach damaged tissue while maintaining healthy environments during circulation. Herein, this article concentrates specifically on the drug delivery applications of polymersomes.
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