Biological evaluation of pH-responsive polymer-caged nanobins for breast cancer therapy

ACS Nano. 2010 Sep 28;4(9):4971-8. doi: 10.1021/nn100560p.

Abstract

A series of doxorubicin-loaded polymer-caged nanobins (PCN(DXR)) were evaluated in vivo in a murine MDA-MB-231 xenograft model of triple-negative breast cancer. The cross-linked polymer cage in PCN(DXR) offers protection for the drug payload while serving as a pH-responsive trigger that enhances drug release in the acidic environments commonly seen in solid tumors and endosomes. Varying the degree of cross-linking in the polymer cage allows the surface potential of PCN(DXR), and thus the in vivo circulation lifetime of the nanocarriers, to be tuned in a facile fashion. Given these design advantages, the present study provides the first in vivo evidence that PCN(DXR) can effectively inhibit tumor growth in a murine model of breast cancer. Importantly, PCN(DXR) was well-tolerated by mice, and drug encapsulation attenuated the toxicity of free doxorubicin. Taken together, this study demonstrates the potential utility of the PCN platform in cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Doxorubicin / administration & dosage*
  • Doxorubicin / adverse effects
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology
  • Doxorubicin / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Mice
  • Nanocapsules / chemistry*
  • Nanomedicine
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Nanocapsules
  • Polymers
  • Doxorubicin