PEG-farnesylthiosalicylate conjugate as a nanomicellar carrier for delivery of paclitaxel

Bioconjug Chem. 2013 Mar 20;24(3):464-72. doi: 10.1021/bc300608h. Epub 2013 Mar 1.

Abstract

S-trans, trans-farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS) is a synthetic small molecule that acts as a potent and especially nontoxic Ras antagonist. It inhibits both oncogenically activated Ras and growth factor receptor-mediated Ras activation, resulting in the inhibition of Ras-dependent tumor growth. In this work, an FTS conjugate with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through a labile ester linkage, PEG5K-FTS2(L), was developed. PEG5K-FTS2 conjugate readily forms micelles in aqueous solutions with a critical micelle concentration of 0.68 μM, and hydrophobic drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) could be effectively loaded into these particles. Both drug-free and PTX-loaded micelles were spherical in shape with a uniform size of 20-30 nm. The release of PTX from PTX-loaded PEG5K-FTS2 micelles was significantly slower than that from Taxol formulation. In vitro cytotoxicity studies with several tumor cell lines showed that PEG5K-FTS2(L) was comparable to FTS in antitumor activity. Western immunoblotting showed that total Ras levels were downregulated in several cancer cell lines treated with FTS or PEG5K-FTS2(L). The micellar formulation of PTX exhibited more in vitro cytotoxic activity against several tumor cell lines compared with free PTX, suggesting a possible synergistic effect between the carrier and the codelivered drug. The antitumor activity of the PTX loaded PEG5K-FTS2(L) micelles in a syngeneic murine breast cancer model was found to be significantly higher than that of Taxol, which may be attributed to their preferential tumor accumulation and a possible synergistic effect between PEG5K-FTS2 carrier and loaded PTX.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Farnesol / administration & dosage
  • Farnesol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Farnesol / chemistry
  • Female
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Micelles*
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage*
  • Paclitaxel / chemistry
  • Polyethylene Glycols / administration & dosage*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Salicylates / administration & dosage*
  • Salicylates / chemistry

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Micelles
  • Salicylates
  • farnesylthiosalicylic acid
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Farnesol
  • Paclitaxel