A star-shaped porphyrin-arginine functionalized poly(l-lysine) copolymer for photo-enhanced drug and gene co-delivery

The co-delivery of drug and gene has become the primary strategy in cancer and other disease therapy. To co-deliver hydrophobic drug and functional gene efficiently into tumor cells, a star-shaped copolymer (PP-PLLD-Arg) with a photochemical internalization effect consisting of a porphyrin (PP) core and arginine-functionalized poly(l-lysine) dendron (PLLD-Arg) arms has been designed, and used to co-deliver docetaxel (DOC) and MMP-9 shRNA plasmid for nasopharyngeal cancer therapy. It was found that PP-PLLD-Arg/MMP-9 nanocomplex showed the photo-enhanced gene transfection efficiency in vitro, and could mediate a significant reduce of MMP-9 protein expression in HNE-1 cells. For co-delivery analysis, the obtained PP-PLLD-Arg/DOC/MMP-9 complexes could induce a more significant apoptosis than DOC or MMP-9 used only, and decreased invasive capacity of HNE-1 cells. Moreover, the star-shaped copolymer exhibited better blood compatibility and lower cytotoxicity compared to PEI-25k in the hemolysis and MTT assays, and also showed a good biocompatibility in vivo. Therefore, PP-PLLD-Arg with suited irradiation is a promising non-toxic and photo-inducible effective drug and gene delivery strategy, which should be encouraged in tumor therapy.     

Improving cancer immunotherapy via co-delivering checkpoint blockade and thrombospondin-1 downregulator

The use of checkpoint-blockade antibodies is still restricted in several malignancies due to the modest efficacy,despite considerable success in anti-tumor immunotherapy.The poor response of cancer cells to immune destruction is an essential contributor to the failure of checkpoint therapy.We hypothesized that combining checkpoint therapy with natural-product chemosensitizer could enhance immune response.Herein,a targeted diterpenoid derivative was integrated with the checkpoint blockade(anti-CT...     

Co-delivery of pEGFP-hTRAIL and paclitaxel to brain glioma mediated by an angiopep-conjugated liposome

In this study, we report an angiopep-2 modified cationic liposome (ANG-CLP) for the efficient co-delivery of a therapeutic gene encoding the human tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (pEGFP-hTRAIL) and paclitaxel (PTX) to glioma. The dual targeting co-delivery system (ANG-CLP/PTX/pEGFP-hTRAIL) improved uptake and gene expression not only in U87 MG cells and BCECs, but also in the glioma bed and infiltrating margin of intracranial U87 MG glioma-bearing models. The system selectively induces apoptosis in U87 MG cells while reducing toxicity to BCECs. The results of the pharmacodynamics studies showed that the apoptosis of glioma cells in in vitro BBB models and in U87 MG glioma-bearing mice induced by ANG-CLP/PTX/pEGFP-hTRAIL was more apparent and widespread than that induced by single medication systems and unmodified co-delivery system. More importantly, the median survival time of brain tumour-bearing mice treated with ANG-CLP/PTX/pEGFP-hTRAIL was 69.5 days, significantly longer than that of other groups, even longer than the commercial temozolomide group (47 days). Therefore, the dual targeting co-delivery system is a promising drug delivery strategy against glioma.     

Polyketal Nanoparticles Co-Loaded With miR-124 and Ketoprofen for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, can effectively relieve pain associated with arthritis, and microRNA-124 (miR-124) can inhibit the progression of the disease. In this study, poly (cyclohexane-1,4-diylacetone dimethylene ketal) (PCADK) nanoparticles (NPs) co-loaded with ketoprofen and miR-124 were successfully prepared using an emulsified solvent evaporation method. The co-loaded NPs exhibited a mean particle diameter of 160 nm. The acid sensitivity of the NPs was determined through in vitro release experiments. An adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model of arthritis was established for evaluating the pharmacodynamics of the NPs through clinical scoring and degree of swelling. The PCADK NPs exhibited more potent pharmacodynamic effects owing to the acid-sensitive properties of the carrier materials, compared with Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs. Furthermore, PCADK co-loaded NPs exhibited superior anti-inflammatory effects compared to NPs loaded with either miR-124 or ketoprofen alone. In conclusion, co-delivery of ketoprofen and miR-124 through NPs is a promising strategy for the treatment of arthritis.     

可共载基因与敏化剂用以增强多西他赛抗肿瘤效果的脂质纳米载药系统的制备与评价

本研究制备了一种纳米载药系统,通过对几种化学或基因药物的同时递送,实现多种药物的协同效应或降低肿瘤对药物的耐药性,从而达到提高肿瘤治疗的目的。在本研究中,通过考察粒径分布及载药量对不同的阳性脂材进行筛选,成功制备可以同时传递阴离子小干扰RNA（siRNA）和化疗药物多西他赛的阳性纳米脂质载体（cNLC）。同时,利用能与肝癌细胞表面特异性结合的新型肽SP94对cNLC的表面进行修饰,最终制得具有主动靶向功能的cNLC。琼脂糖凝胶色谱结果显示制得的cNLC可以有效的装载siRNA。超滤离心法去除游离药物后,HPLC图谱显示cNLC能够高效的包载多西他赛。与市售制剂泰索帝相比,制得的SP94-cNLC显示出更强的细胞毒性,这表明SP94修饰的cNLC能更高效的递送多西他赛进入肝癌细胞。而在姜黄素和多西他赛共载的NLC中,通过姜黄素对多西他赛的敏化作用提高多西他赛在侵袭性癌细胞中的细胞毒性,这种共载系统能够改善化疗药物单独使用时疗效较差的缺点。     

基于前药构建混合胶束实现紫杉醇/阿霉素共递送

为了达到靶向递送,实现肿瘤的联合治疗,制备两亲性紫杉醇-聚乙二醇前药以及小分子阿霉素前药,两者共同构成混合胶束实现共递送.合成还原敏感性的聚乙二醇-紫杉醇前体药物(mPEG-SS-PTX)和靶向性叶酸修饰的聚乙二醇-紫杉醇前体药物(FA-PEG-SS-PTX).同时合成pH敏感阿霉素-乌头酸酐(CAD)小分子前药,采用...     

A pH-sensitive supramolecular nanosystem with chlorin e6 and triptolide co-delivery for chemo-photodynamic combination therapy

The combination of Ce6, an acknowledged photosensitizer, and TPL, a natural anticancer agent, has been demonstrated as a useful strategy to reinforce the tumor growth suppression, as well as decrease the systemic side effects compared with their monotherapy. However, in view of the optimal chemo-photodynamic combination efficiency, there is still short of the feasible nanovehicle to steadily co-deliver Ce6 and TPL, and stimuli-responsively burst release drugs in tumor site. Herein, we described ...     

Co-delivery of platinum drug and siNotch1 with micelleplex for enhanced hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

As part of HCC tumor cellularity, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered a major obstacle to eradicate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the accumulation of chemotherapeutic drug-resistant CSCs invariably accounts for poor prognosis and HCC relapse. In the present study, we explored the efficacy of co-delivery of platinum drug and siRNA targeting Notch1 to treat CSCs-harboring HCC. To overcome the challenging obstacles of platinum drug and siRNA in the systemic administration, we developed a micellar nanoparticle (MNP) to deliver platinum(IV) prodrug and siNotch1, hereafter referred to as ^Pt(IV)MNP/siNotch1. We demonstrated that ^Pt(IV)MNP/siNotch1 was able to efficiently deliver two drugs into both non-CSCs and CSCs of SMMC7721, a HCC cell line. We further found that siRNA-mediated inhibition of Notch1 suppression can increase the sensitivity of HCC cells to platinum drugs and decrease the percentage of HCC CSCs, and consequently resulting in enhanced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction in HCC cells in vitro. Moreover, our results indicated that the combined drug delivery system can remarkably augment drug enrichment in tumor tissues, substantially suppressing the tumor growth while avoiding the accumulation of CSCs in a synergistic manner in the SMMC7721 xenograft model.     

Co-delivery of doxorubicin and tumor-suppressing p53 gene using a POSS-based star-shaped polymer for cancer therapy

In this work, a star-shaped polymer consisting of a cationic poly[2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) shell and a zwitterionic poly[N-(3-(methacryloylamino) propyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide] (PMPD) corona was grafted from a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)-based initiator via atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The reported star-shaped polymer could form stable micelles in aqueous solutions even in the presence of serum. In addition, anti-cancer drug doxorubicin and tumor-suppressing p53 gene were loaded in the process of micelle formation. The formed polyplex was biocompatible and highly efficient for both drug and gene delivery. Furthermore, the polyplex was able to cause a high apoptotic rate of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. This combination delivery strategy offers a promising method for cancer therapy and can be used for further clinical applications.     

Tumortropic monocyte-mediated delivery of echogenic polymer bubbles and therapeutic vesicles for chemotherapy of tumor hypoxia

Overcoming limitations often experienced in nanomedicine delivery toward hypoxia regions of malignant tumors remains a great challenge. In this study, a promising modality for active hypoxia drug delivery was developed by adopting tumortropic monocytes/macrophages as a cellular vehicle for co-delivery of echogenic polymer/C₅F₁₂ bubbles and doxorubicin-loaded polymer vesicles. Through the remote-controlled focused ultrasound (FUS)-triggered drug liberation, therapeutic monocytes show prominent capability of inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. The in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging shows appreciable accumulation of cell-mediated therapeutics in tumor as compared to the nanoparticle counterpart residing mostly in liver. Inhibition of tumor recurrence with γ-ray pre-irradiated Tramp-C1-bearing mice receiving therapeutic monocytes intravenously alongside the FUS activation at tumor site was significantly observed. Immunohistochemical examination of tumor sections confirms successful cellular transport of therapeutic payloads to hypoxic regions and pronounced cytotoxic action against hypoxic cells. Following the intravenous administration, the cellular-mediated therapeutics can penetrate easily to a depth beyond 150 μm from the nearest blood vessels within pre-irradiated tumor while nanoparticles are severely limited to a depth of ca 10–15 μm. This work demonstrates the great promise of cellular delivery to carry therapeutic payloads for improving chemotherapy in hypoxia by combining external trigger for drug release.