Intelligent biogenic pH-sensitive and amine-responsive color-changing label for real-time monitoring of shrimp freshness.

BACKGROUND: This study developed an intelligent, pH-sensitive and amine-responsive colorimetric label based on chitosan, whey protein and thymol blue by controlling the pH value of the film-forming solution. The obtained label was used to monitor shrimp freshness in real time. The results of this study offer a new approach for developing highly intelligent biogenic labels for freshness monitoring during seafood preservation and processing. RESULTS: The pH 2.0 chitosan-whey protein-thymol blue (CWT-pH 2.0) label exhibited remarkable properties, including the highest tensile strength (5.90 MPa), excellent thermal stability, low water solubility (27.80%) and highly sensitive color responsiveness. The characterization techniques of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the effective immobilization of thymol blue within the film-forming matrix through hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, the CWT-pH 2.0 label demonstrated visible color changes in the presence of volatile ammonia concentrations ranging from 25 to 25 000 ppm. Consequently, the label successfully facilitated real-time monitoring of shrimp freshness during storage at 4 °C. Importantly, the release rate of thymol blue from the label in food simulants was minimal, measuring only 2.53%. CONCLUSION: The CWT-pH 2.0 label exhibits significant potential as a highly intelligent biogenic label for freshness monitoring in seafood preservation and processing. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of novel polymeric micellar drug conjugates and nano-containers with hydrolyzable core structure for doxorubicin delivery.

Novel micelle-forming poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) block copolymers bearing doxorubicin (DOX) side groups (PEO-b-P(CL-DOX)) on the PCL block were synthesized. Prepared block copolymers were characterized, assembled to polymeric micellar drug conjugates and assessed for the level of DOX release at pH 7.4 and pH 5.0 using a dialysis membrane to separate released and conjugated drug. The possibility for the degradation of PCL backbone for PEO-b-P(CL-DOX) micelles was investigated using gel permeation chromatography. Micelle-forming DOX conjugate did not show any signs of DOX release at 37 degrees C within 72h of incubation at both pHs, but revealed signs of poly(ester) core degradation at pH 5.0. In further studies, PEO-b-PCL micelles bearing benzyl, carboxyl or DOX groups in the core were also used as micellar nano-containers for the physical encapsulation of DOX, where maximum level of drug-loading and control over the rate of DOX release was achieved by polymeric micelles containing benzyl groups in their core, i.e., PEO-b-poly(alpha-benzylcarboxylate-epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PBCL) micelles. The in vitro cytotoxicity of chemically conjugated DOX as part of PEO-b-P(CL-DOX) and physically encapsulated DOX in PEO-b-PBCL against B16F10 murine melanoma cells was assessed and compared to that of free DOX. Consistent with the results of in vitro release study, cytotoxicity of micellar PEO-b-P(CL-DOX) conjugate (IC50 of 3.65 microg/mL) was lower than that of free and physically encapsulated DOX in PEO-b-PBCL (IC50 of 0.09 and 3.07 microg/mL, respectively) after 24 h of incubation. After 48 h of incubation, the cytotoxicity of conjugated DOX (IC50 of 0.50 microg/mL) was still lower than the cytotoxicity of free DOX (IC50 of 0.03 microg/mL), but surpassed that of physically encapsulated DOX in PEO-b-PBCL (IC50 of 1.54 microg/mL). The results point to a potential for PEO-b-P(CL-DOX) and PEO-b-PBCL as novel polymeric micellar drug conjugates and nano-containers bearing hydrolyzable cores for DOX delivery.

Polymeric micelles for drug targeting.

Polymeric micelles are nano-delivery systems formed through self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in an aqueous environment. The nanoscopic dimension, stealth properties induced by the hydrophilic polymeric brush on the micellar surface, capacity for stabilized encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs offered by the hydrophobic and rigid micellar core, and finally a possibility for the chemical manipulation of the core/shell structure have made polymeric micelles one of the most promising carriers for drug targeting. To date, three generations of polymeric micellar delivery systems, i.e. polymeric micelles for passive, active and multifunctional drug targeting, have arisen from research efforts, with each subsequent generation displaying greater specificity for the diseased tissue and/or targeting efficiency. The present manuscript aims to review the research efforts made for the development of each generation and provide an assessment on the overall success of polymeric micellar delivery system in drug targeting. The emphasis is placed on the design and development of ligand modified, stimuli responsive and multifunctional polymeric micelles for drug targeting.

Enhanced intracellular delivery and improved antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin by sterically stabilized liposomes modified with a synthetic RGD mimetic.

While sterically stabilized liposomes (SSL) can passively accumulate into tumor tissue due to the effect of enhanced permeability and retention (EPR), the intracellular uptake of the entrapped anticancer drugs by the tumor cells should be a determinant step for their antitumor activities. Therefore, strategies that can enhance the intracellular uptake of SSL into tumor cells could lead to an improved therapeutic efficacy for the drugs. To check this possibility, RGD-mimetic-modified SSL (RGDm-SSL) were constructed aimed to achieve tumor accumulation as well as enhanced intracellular delivery, and were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), an anticancer drug. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy reveal that RGDm-SSL facilitated the DOX uptake into the melanoma cells via integrin-mediated endocytosis. DOX-loaded RGDm-SSL (RGDm-SSL-DOX) displayed higher cytotoxicity on melanoma cells than DOX-loaded SSL (SSL-DOX). Tissue distribution and therapeutic experiments were examined in C57BL/6 mice carrying melanoma B16 tumors. RGDm-SSL-DOX displayed similar DOX accumulation in tumor tissue to that of SSL-DOX but showed significantly lower DOX level in blood and remarkably higher DOX level in spleen than SSL-DOX. Administration of RGDm-SSL-DOX at a dose of 5 mg DOX/kg resulted in effective retardation of tumor growth and prolonged survival times compared with SSL-DOX. These results suggest that RGDm-modified SSL may be a promising intracellular targeting carrier for efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents into tumor cells.

Intracellular delivery of doxorubicin with RGD-modified sterically stabilized liposomes for an improved antitumor efficacy: in vitro and in vivo.

Passive targeting by sterically stabilized liposomes (SSL), once combined with efficient intracellular delivery, may be a very useful strategy to improve the antitumor efficacy for the anticancer agents. The arginine-glycine-aspartic acid tripeptide (RGD) is known to serve as a recognition motif for several different integrins located on cell surface. In this study, the RGD tripeptide was coupled to the distal end of the poly (ethylene glycol)-coated liposomes (RGD-SSL) aimed to achieve increased tumor accumulation and enhanced intracellular uptake. DOX-loaded RGD-SSL (RGD-SSL-DOX), DOX-loaded SSL (SSL-DOX), and free DOX were compared with respect to their in vitro uptake and cytotoxicity and their in vivo biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy in tumor-bearing mice. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy studies revealed that RGD-SSL could facilitate the DOX uptake into melanoma cells by integrin-mediated endocytosis. RGD-SSL-DOX displayed higher cytotoxicity on melanoma cells than SSL-DOX. While RGD-SSL-DOX demonstrated prolonged circulation time and increased tumor accumulation as SSL-DOX did, it showed remarkably higher splenic uptake than SSL-DOX. Mice receiving RGD-SSL-DOX (5 mg DOX/kg) showed effective retardation in tumor growth compared with those receiving same dose of SSL-DOX, free DOX solution, or saline. These results suggest that RGD-modified SSL may be a feasible intracellular targeting carrier for efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents into tumor cells.

[Preparation of doxorubicin-loaded stealth liposomes modified with RGD mimetic and cellular association in vitro].

AIM: To investigate the possibility of using stealth liposomes modified with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) mimetic as the targeted carriers to achieve increased accumulation in tumor and enhanced intracellular delivery for the encapsulated anticancer drugs. METHODS: RGD mimetic (RGDm) as a ligand for integrins was synthesized and covalently conjugated to the active PEGylated phospholipids (DSPE-PEG-BTC) to form RGDm conjugate (DSPE-PEG-RGDm). Then RGDm-modified SL (RGDm-SL) containing DOX (RGDm-SL-DOX) and SL containing DOX (SL-DOX) were prepared by film dispersion followed by ammonium sulfate gradient method. The pH-sensitive probe, BCECF-AM, was used to study the binding of melanoma cells to DSPE-PEG-RGDm. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were performed to evaluate the cellular association or DOX uptake for RGDm-SL-DOX or SL-DOX in vitro. RESULTS: The melanoma cells A375 and B16 showed enhanced binding to the immobilized DSPE-PEG-RGDm. The cells treated with RGDm-SL-DOX showed remarkable increase in cellular association or DOX uptake compared with SL-DOX. CONCLUSION: The RGDm-modified SL could be as the targeted carriers to facilitate the delivery of the encapsulated anti-cancer drugs into tumor cells by receptor-mediated way.

Anti-CD30 antibody conjugated liposomal doxorubicin with significantly improved therapeutic efficacy against anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

The use of nano-carriers has been shown to improve the delivery and efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer patients. Recent studies suggest that decoration of the surface of nano-carriers with various targeting moieties may further improve the overall therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of Doxil(®) (commercial doxorubicin-loaded liposomes) and that of Doxil(®) conjugated with anti-CD30 antibodies (CD30-targeted Doxil(®)) in treating anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a type of T-cell lymphoma characterized by a high CD30 expression. Compared to Doxil(®), the CD30-targeted Doxil(®) showed a significantly higher binding affinity to ALCL cells (5.3% versus 27%, p = 0.005) and a lower inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50) in-vitro (32.6 µg/mL versus 12.6 µg/mL, p = 0.006). In a SCID mouse xenograft model, CD30-targeted Doxil(®) inhibited tumor growth more significantly than the unconjugated formulation; specifically, tumors in mice treated with CD30-targeted Doxil(®) were significantly smaller than those in mice treated with Doxil(®) (average, 117 mm(3) versus 270 mm(3), p = 0.001) at 18 days after the tumors were inoculated. Our findings have provided the proof-of-principle of using CD30-targeted nano-carriers to treat cancers that are characterized by a high level of CD30 expression, such as ALCL.

Amphiphilic block co-polymers: preparation and application in nanodrug and gene delivery.

Self-assembly of amphiphilic block co-polymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the hydrophilic block and poly(ether)s, poly(amino acid)s, poly(ester)s and polypropyleneoxide (PPO) as the hydrophobic block can lead to the formation of nanoscopic structures of different morphologies. These structures have been the subject of extensive research in the past decade as artificial mimics of lipoproteins and viral vectors for drug and gene delivery. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the synthesis of commonly used amphiphilic block co-polymers. It will also briefly go over some pharmaceutical applications of amphiphilic block co-polymers as "nanodelivery systems" for small molecules and gene therapeutics.

Traceable multifunctional micellar nanocarriers for cancer-targeted co-delivery of MDR-1 siRNA and doxorubicin.

In this article we report on the development of polymeric micelles that can integrate multiple functions in one system, including the capability to accommodate a combination of therapeutic entities with different physicochemical properties (i.e., siRNA and doxorubicin; DOX), passive and active cancer targeting, cell membrane translocation, and pH-triggered drug release. A micellar system was constructed from degradable poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) block copolymers with functional groups on both blocks. The functional group on the PCL block was used to incorporate short polyamines for complexation with siRNA or to chemically conjugate DOX via a pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage. A virus mimetic shell was conferred by attaching two ligands, i.e., the integrin αvß3-specific ligand (RGD4C) for active cancer targeting and the cell-penetrating peptide TAT for membrane activity. This system was used to improve the efficacy of DOX in multidrug-resistant MDA-MB-435 human tumor models that overexpress P-glycoprotein (P-gp), by simultaneous intracellular delivery of DOX and siRNA against P-gp expression. The carrier was tagged with near-infrared fluorescent imaging probes to provide a means to follow the fate of the system in vivo upon intravenous administration. Dy677-labeled siRNA was also used to assess the in vivo stability of the siRNA carrier. This multifunctional polymeric micellar system was shown to be capable of DOX and siRNA delivery to their intracellular targets, leading to the inhibition of P-gp-mediated DOX resistance in vitro and targeting of αvß3-positive tumors in vivo.

Engineering of amphiphilic block copolymers for polymeric micellar drug and gene delivery.

The use of nano-delivery systems formed through assembly of synthetic amphiphilic block copolymers (ABCs) in experimental medicine and pharmaceutical sciences is experiencing rapid development. This rapid development is driven by a crucial need in improving the performance of existing therapeutic agents, as well as the necessity for the development of advanced delivery systems for complex new entities such as genes, proteins and other cellular components. The flexibility in the construction of appropriate carriers for the delivery requirements of these complex new "drugs" offered by versatile polymer chemistry provides an undeniable advantage for polymer based nano-delivery systems compared to other colloids in this regard. With seven formulations already in different stages of clinical trials, polymeric micelles are in the front line of drug development among different ABC-based nano-carriers. The success in rapid advancement of polymeric micelles from bench to bedside is owed to the rational engineering of core/shell structure so that the polymeric micellar carrier can meet the requirements for optimum delivery of specific drug(s) in certain disease condition(s). The engineering efforts in this regard have mostly been aimed at providing efficient drug loading, micellar stabilization, and sustained and/or site specific drug release. The objective of this review is to provide an update on different engineering strategies employed to achieve optimum polymeric micellar formulations.

The therapeutic response to multifunctional polymeric nano-conjugates in the targeted cellular and subcellular delivery of doxorubicin.

The purpose of this study was to develop polymeric nano-carriers of doxorubicin (DOX) that can increase the therapeutic efficacy of DOX for sensitive and resistant cancers. Towards this goal, two polymeric DOX nano-conjugates were developed, for which the design was based on the use of multi-functionalized poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) micelles decorated with alphavbeta3 integrin-targeting ligand (i.e. RGD4C) on the micellar surface. In the first formulation, DOX was conjugated to the degradable PEO-b-PCL core using the pH-sensitive hydrazone bonds, namely RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Hyd-DOX). In the second formulation, DOX was conjugated to the core using the more stable amide bonds, namely RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Ami-DOX). The pH-triggered drug release, cellular uptake, intracellular distribution, and cytotoxicity against MDA-435/LCC6(WT) (a DOX-sensitive cancer cell line) and MDA-435/LCC6(MDR) (a DOX-resistant clone expressing a high level of P-glycoprotein) were evaluated. Following earlier in vitro results, SCID mice bearing MDA-435/LCC6(WT) and MDA-435/LCC6(MDR) tumors were treated with RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Hyd-DOX) and RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Ami-DOX), respectively. In both formulations, surface decoration with RGD4C significantly increased the cellular uptake of DOX in MDA-435/LCC6(WT) and MDA-435/LCC6(MDR) cells. In MDA-435/LCC6(WT), the best cytotoxic response was achieved using RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Hyd-DOX), that correlated with the highest cellular uptake and preferential nuclear accumulation of DOX. In MDA-435/LCC6(MDR), RGD4C-PEO-b-P(CL-Ami-DOX) was the most cytotoxic, and this effect correlated with the accumulation of DOX in the mitochondria. Studies using a xenograft mouse model yielded results parallel to those of the in vitro studies. Our study showed that RGD4C-decorated PEO-b-P(CL-Hyd-DOX) and PEO-b-P(CL-Ami-DOX) can effectively improve the therapeutic efficacy of DOX in human MDA-435/LCC6 sensitive and resistant cancer, respectively, pointing to the potential of these polymeric micelles as the custom-designed drug carriers for clinical cancer therapy.

Virus-mimetic polymeric micelles for targeted siRNA delivery.

In this study, an engineered non-viral polymer based delivery systems with structural features mimicking that of viral vectors was developed and the potential of this carrier for siRNA delivery was assessed. The developed siRNA carrier was based on poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) micelles decorated with integrin alphavbeta3 targeting peptide (RGD4C) and/or cell penetrating peptide (TAT) on the PEO shell, and modified with a polycation (spermine) in the PCL core for siRNA binding and protection. We observed increased cellular uptake and effective endosomal escape of siRNA delivered with the peptide-functionalized micelles especially those with dual functionality (RGD/TAT-micelles) compared to unmodified micelles (NON-micelles) in MDA435/LCC6 resistant cells. Transfection of mdr1 siRNA formulated in peptide-modified micelles led to P-gp down regulation both at the mRNA and protein level. Subsequent to P-gp down regulation, increased cellular accumulation of P-gp substrate, doxorubicin (DOX), in the cytoplasm and nucleus of resistant MDA435/LCC6 cells after treatment with peptide decorated polymeric micelle/mdr1 siRNA complexes was observed. As a result, resistance to DOX was successfully reversed. Interestingly, RGD/TAT-micellar siRNA complexes produced improved cellular uptake, P-gp silencing, DOX cellular accumulation, DOX nuclear localization and DOX induced cytotoxicity in MDA435/LCC6 cells when compared to micelles decorated with individual peptides. Results of this study indicated a potential for RGD/TAT-functionalized virus-like micelles as promising carriers for efficient delivery of mdr1 siRNA to MDA435/LCC6 resistant cells as means to reverse the P-gp mediated multidrug resistance to DOX.

Biodegradable amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyesters with grafted polyamines as supramolecular nanocarriers for efficient siRNA delivery.

The RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been successfully used in elucidating mechanisms behind various biological events. However, in the absence of safe and effective carriers for in vivo delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), application of this technology for therapeutic purposes has lagged behind. The objective of this research was to develop promising carriers for siRNA delivery based on degradable poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyesters containing polycationic side chains on their polyester block. Toward this goal, a novel family of biodegradable poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) based copolymers with polyamine side chains on the PCL block, i.e., PEO-b-PCL with grafted spermine (PEO-b-P(CL-g-SP)), tetraethylenepentamine (PEO-b-P(CL-g-TP)), or N,N-dimethyldipropylenetriamine (PEO-b-P(CL-g-DP)) were synthesized and evaluated for siRNA delivery. The polyamine-grafted PEO-b-PCL polymers, especially PEO-b-P(CL-g-SP), demonstrated comparable toxicity to PEO-b-PCL in vitro. The polymers were able to effectively bind siRNA, self-assemble into micelles, protect siRNA from degradation by nuclease and release complexed siRNA efficiently in the presence of low concentrations of polyanionic heparin. Based on flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, siRNA formulated in PEO-b-P(CL-g-SP) and PEO-b-P(CL-g-TP) micelles showed efficient cellular uptake through endocytosis by MDA435/LCC6 cells transfected with MDR-1, which encodes for the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The siRNA formulated in PEO-b-P(CL-g-SP) and PEO-b-P(CL-g-TP) micelles demonstrated effective endosomal escape after cellular uptake. Finally, MDR-1-targeted siRNA formulated in PEO-b-P(CL-g-SP) and PEO-b-P(CL-g-TP) micelles exhibited efficient gene silencing for P-gp expression. The results of this study demonstrated the promise of novel amphiphilic PEO-b-P(CL-g-polyamine) block copolymers for efficient siRNA delivery.

Multifunctional polymeric micelles for enhanced intracellular delivery of doxorubicin to metastatic cancer cells.

PURPOSES: To develop multifunctional RGD-decorated poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(ester) based micelles and assess their pH-triggered core degradation and targeted drug release in tumor cells that overexpress RGD receptors. METHODS: Novel poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) based copolymers modified with RGD ligands on PEO and pendent functional groups on PCL, i.e., GRGDS-PEO-b-poly(alpha-benzylcarboxylate-epsilon-caprolactone) (GRGDS-PEO-b-PBCL) and GRGDS-PEO-b-poly(alpha-carboxyl-epsilon-caprolactone) (GRGDS-PEO-b-PCCL), were synthesized. Chemical conjugation of doxorubicin (DOX) to PCCL core produced GRGDS-PEO-b-P(CL-DOX) micellar conjugates, while GRGDS-PEO-b-PBCL were used to physically encapsulate DOX. For both systems, micellar core degradation, drug release, intracellular drug uptake/disposition, and cytotoxicity against B16F10 metastatic cells were investigated. RESULTS: The PBCL and P(CL-DOX) cores were found resistant to degradation in pH 7.2, but showed 10% and 40% loss in core molecular weight in pH 5.0 within 144 h, respectively. Preferential release of DOX and DOX derivatives from PBCL and P(CL-DOX) cores was noted in pH 5.0, respectively. The GRGDS-modified micelles showed enhanced cellular internalization through endocytosis, increased intracellular DOX release, nuclear localization, and improved cytotoxicity against metastatic B16F10 cells compared to their unmodified counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: The results clearly suggest a promise for the development of multifunctional polymeric micelles with RGD ligand decorated shell and endosomal pH-triggered degradable core for selective DOX delivery to metastatic cancer cells.

Conjugation of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptides to poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) micelles for enhanced intracellular drug delivery to metastatic tumor cells.

An arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) containing model peptide was conjugated to the surface of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) micelles as a ligand that can recognize adhesion molecules overexpressed on the surface of metastatic cancer cells, that is, integrins, and that can enhance the micellar delivery of encapsulated hydrophobic drug into a tumor cell. Toward this goal, PEO-b-PCL copolymers bearing acetal groups on the PEO end were synthesized, characterized, and assembled to polymeric micelles. The acetal group on the surface of the PEO-b-PCL micelles was converted to reactive aldehyde under acidic condition at room temperature. An RGD-containing linear peptide, GRGDS, was conjugated on the surface of the aldehyde-decorated PEO-b-PCL micelles by incubation at room temperature. A hydrophobic fluorescent probe, that is, DiI, was physically loaded in prepared polymeric micelles to imitate hydrophobic drugs loaded in micellar carrier. The cellular uptake of DiI loaded GRGDS-modified micelles by melanoma B16-F10 cells was investigated at 4 and 37 degrees C by fluorescent spectroscopy and confocal microscopy techniques and was compared to the uptake of DiI loaded valine-PEO-b-PCL micelles (as the irrelevant ligand decorated micelles) and free DiI. GRGDS conjugation to polymeric micelles significantly facilitated the cellular uptake of encapsulated hydrophobic DiI most probably by intergrin-mediated cell attachment and endocytosis. The results indicate that acetal-terminated PEO-b-PCL micelles are amenable for introducing targeting moieties on the surface of polymeric micelles and that RGD-peptide conjugated PEO-b-PCL micelles are promising ligand-targeted carriers for enhanced drug delivery to metastatic tumor cells.

Enhanced intracellular uptake of sterically stabilized liposomal Doxorubicin in vitro resulting in improved antitumor activity in vivo.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between the in vitro intracellular uptake and the in vivo antitumor activity of anticancer drugs delivered by sterically stabilized liposomes (SSL). METHODS: Arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide or RGD mimetic (RGDm) was coupled onto the surface of SSL to obtain the cell-binding carrier to facilitate the intracellular delivery of the encapsulated drugs. DOX-loaded SSL (SSL-DOX), DOX-loaded RGD-modified SSL (RGD-SSL-DOX) and DOX-loaded RGDm-modified SSL (RGDm-SSL-DOX) were prepared by lipid film dispersion followed by remote loading of DOX. The intracellular uptake of DOX from the various liposomal formulations was evaluated in vitro with melanoma B16 cells, and the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antitumor activity were compared in C57BL/6 mice carrying melanoma B16 tumors. RESULTS: In vitro intracellular uptake of DOX by B16 cells and in vivo antitumor activity in terms of tumor growth inhibition and mice survival time prolongation for various liposomal DOX were in the following order: RGD-SSL-DOX > RGDm-SSL-DOX > SSL-DOX. The mean survival time of the mice treated with RGD-SSL-DOX, RGDm-SSL-DOX, and SSL-DOX was 55, 49, and 44 days, respectively. The three liposomal DOX formulations produced very close DOX accumulation in tumor, which is significantly higher than that of free DOX. RGD- or RGDm-SSL-DOX demonstrated prolonged circulation time similar to that of SSL-DOX, whereas they showed significantly lower DOX level in blood and remarkably higher uptake by spleen than SSL-DOX. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced intracellular uptake of DOX encapsulated in SSL could produce an improved therapeutic effect for the melanoma B16 tumors. Enhancing intracellular delivery of the anticancer drugs encapsulated in SSL may be a promising strategy to improve their therapeutic efficacy for solid tumors.