title: Multifunctional nanoparticles of biodegradable copolymer blend for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A multifunctional nanoparticle (NP) system is developed to provide a sustained, controlled and targeted co-delivery of quantum dots (QDs) as a model imaging agent and docetaxel as a model anticancer drug. The NPs are made of a polymeric blend of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), which forms a biodegradable NP matrix, and the novel copolymer D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate-COOH, which facilitates ligand conjugation on the NP surface.
  
  
  METHODS
  The NPs were prepared by nanoprecipitation and characterized for their size and size distribution, surface morphology, surface charge, QD/drug encapsulation and loading efficiency, and in vitro drug release profile. The targeting effects of such NPs were evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively through the cellular uptake of the QDs as well as the cytotoxicity of the drug using MCF-7 cells, which overexpress folate receptors and NIH 3T3 cells, which have no folate receptors overexpression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPs with folate conjugated on their surface achieved much higher cellular uptake than those with no folate conjugation in MCF-7 cells while no significant targeting effect could be observed for NIH 3T3 cells. The drug formulated in the folate-conjugated NPs were more efficious compared with NPs with no folate conjugation as well as the current clinical formulation Taxotere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E5, 02-11, Engineering Drive 4, 117576, Singapore. chefess@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yutao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Si-Shen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D045663:Quantum Dots; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D014810:Vitamin E; D000077143:Docetaxel; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C014225:tocophersolan