Inhibitory Effects of PEI-RGD/125I-(αv) ASODN on Growth and Invasion of HepG2 Cells.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of PEI-RGD/125I-(αv)ASODN (PEI, polyethylenimine; RGD, Arg-Gly-Asp; ASODN, antisense oligodeoxynucleotide) on the growth and invasion of HepG2 cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ASODN of the integrin αv-subunit was marked with 125I and underwent complexation with PEI-RGD, a PEI derivative. Next, PEI-RGD/125I-(αv) ASODN was introduced into HepG2 cells via receptor-mediated transfection, and its inhibition rate on HepG2 cell growth was tested using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. The effects of PEI-RGD/125I-(αv) ASODN on HepG2 cell invasion ability were evaluated using the Boyden chamber assay. RESULTS: 1) The 125I marking rate of (αv) ASODN was 73.78±4.09%, and the radiochemical purity was 96.68±1.38% (greater than 90% even after a 48-h incubation period at 37°C), indicating high stability. 2) The cytotoxicity assays showed that the cell inhibition rates did not differ significantly between the PEI-RGD/125I-(αv)ASODN group and the PEI-RGD/(αv) ASODN group, but they were both significantly higher than in the other groups and were positively correlated (r=0.879) with the dosage within a certain range. 3) The invasion assays showed that the inhibition rate was significantly greater in the PEI-RGD/125I-(αv) ASODN group compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: PEI-RGD/125I-(αv) ASODN can efficiently inhibit the growth and proliferation of HepG2 cells and can also weaken their invasive ability.

Biological characterization of folate-decorated biodegradable polymer-platinum(II) complex micelles.

A biodegradable and amphiphilic copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(l-lactide-co-2-methyl-2-carboxyl-propylene carbonate) (mPEG-b-P(LA-co-MCC)), which contains pendant carboxyl groups, was chosen as a drug carrier for the active anticancer part (diaminocyclohexane platinum, DACH-Pt) of oxaliplatin to form mPEG-b-P(LA-co-MCC/Pt) complex. A folic acid-conjugated copolymer, folic acid-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(L-lactide) (FA-PEG-PLA), with similar chemical structure was chosen for targeting. Multifunctional micelles were successfully prepared by a coassembling method. In vitro evaluation was performed by using SKOV-3 and MCF-7 cancer cells. In vivo blood clearance of platinum was studied, and the results show that micelles exhibit longer blood circulation after iv injection. Pt biodistribution was studied by measuring its levels in plasma, organs, and tumors, especially in tumor cell DNA, by atomic absorption and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Antitumor activity was assessed in mice bearing H22 liver cancers, and the results showed that the micelles with FA moieties exhibited greater antitumor efficacy than those without FA or oxaliplatin. Therefore, these novel multifunctional platinum micelles have great potential in future clinical application.

Bone-targeting polymer vesicles for simultaneous imaging and effective malignant bone tumor treatment.

We present a bone-targeting polymer vesicle with excellent single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging capability and high antitumor drug delivery efficiency as an integrated platform for the simultaneous diagnosing and treatment of malignant bone tumors. This polymer vesicle can be self-assembled from poly(ε-caprolactone)67-b-poly[(L-glutamic acid)6-stat-(L-glutamic acid-alendronic acid)16] (PCL67-b-P[Glu6-stat-(Glu-ADA)16]), directly in water without the aid of a cosolvent. SPECT/CT dynamically tracked the drug distribution in the bone tumor rabbit models, and the tumor size was significantly reduced from >2.0 cm3 to <0.6 cm3 over 11 days. The pathological analysis demonstrated obvious necrosis and apoptosis of the tumor cells. Overall, this bone-targeting polymer vesicle provides us with a new platform for the combination of real-time diagnosis and therapy of malignant bone tumors.

Theranostic nanoparticles based on bioreducible polyethylenimine-coated iron oxide for reduction-responsive gene delivery and magnetic resonance imaging.

Theranostic nanoparticles based on superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) have a great promise for tumor diagnosis and gene therapy. However, the availability of theranostic nanoparticles with efficient gene transfection and minimal toxicity remains a big challenge. In this study, we construct an intelligent SPIO-based nanoparticle comprising a SPIO inner core and a disulfide-containing polyethylenimine (SSPEI) outer layer, which is referred to as a SSPEI-SPIO nanoparticle, for redox-triggered gene release in response to an intracellular reducing environment. We reveal that SSPEI-SPIO nanoparticles are capable of binding genes to form nano-complexes and mediating a facilitated gene release in the presence of dithiothreitol (5-20 mM), thereby leading to high transfection efficiency against different cancer cells. The SSPEI-SPIO nanoparticles are also able to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) for the silencing of human telomerase reverse transcriptase genes in HepG2 cells, causing their apoptosis and growth inhibition. Further, the nanoparticles are applicable as T2-negative contrast agents for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of a tumor xenografted in a nude mouse. Importantly, SSPEI-SPIO nanoparticles have relatively low cytotoxicity in vitro at a high concentration of 100 µg/mL. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of a disulfide-containing cationic polymer-decorated SPIO nanoparticle as highly potent and low-toxic theranostic nano-system for specific nucleic acid delivery inside cancer cells.

A cross-linked polymeric micellar delivery system for cisplatin(IV) complex.

A polymeric cisplatin(IV) prodrug in the form of cross-linked micelles (M(Pt(IV)) was prepared by first constructing MPEG-b-PCL-b-PLL micelles and then attaching a cisplatin(IV) complex with two axial succinic moieties to the lysine residues of the carrier polymer in aqueous medium. The micelles obtained were characterized by TEM, DLS, and zeta potential measurement. Their in vitro release experiments were carried out at pH 7.4 and 5.0 or in the presence of 5mM sodium ascorbate (NaAsc). Results showed that the micelles were sensitive to both acidic hydrolysis and mild reducing agents; in the presence of 5mM NaAsc, cisplatin(II) was directly released and the released cisplatin(II) could chelate with nucleobases; the micelles displayed comparable cytotoxicities to cisplatin; and the micelles were much more efficiently internalized by the cells than cisplatin(II) and cisplatin(IV) counterparts. Moreover, in vivo study showed accumulation of more Pt species in the tumor site and lower systematic toxicity compared to free cisplatin(II) and cisplatin(IV). This polymeric prodrug of cisplatin is expected to be used more for future study and applications.

A prodrug strategy to deliver cisplatin(IV) and paclitaxel in nanomicelles to improve efficacy and tolerance.

A strategy of preparing composite micelles containing both cisplatin(IV) prodrug and paclitaxel was developed, i.e., synthesizing a cisplatin(IV) conjugate and a paclitaxel conjugate starting with the same biodegradable and amphiphilic block copolymer, and co-assembling the two conjugates. The composite micelles could release effective anticancer drug cisplatin(II) upon cellular reduction and PTX via acid hydrolysis once they came into the cancerous cells. Moreover, the composite micelles displayed synergistic effect in vitro and the combination therapy in micellar dosage-form led to reduced systematic toxicity and enhanced antitumor efficacy in vivo.