Inhibition of breast cancer metastasis by paclitaxel-loaded pH responsive poly(ß-amino ester) copolymer micelles.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Tumor metastasis is one of the leading causes of insufficient chemotherapy during cancer treatment. In this study, a poly(ß-amino ester) derivate was developed to fabricate paclitaxel (PTX) entrapped pH-responsive copolymer micelles for inhibition of breast cancer metastasis. MATERIALS & METHODS: PTX-loaded micelles were fabricated by thin film hydration method. The inhibition efficacy of the as-prepared micelles was evaluated on MDA-MB-231 cells and tumor bearing mice. RESULTS: PTX-loaded micelles were successfully prepared. Such micelles could promote drug uptake and MDA-MB-231 cell deaths, and suppress tumor metastasis. CONCLUSION: The pH-responsive PTX-loaded micelles are promising candidates in developing stimuli triggered drug delivery systems in acidic tumor microenvironments with improved inhibitory effects on tumor metastasis.