EGF-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes for targeting delivery of etoposide.
To enhance the therapeutic potential of etoposide (ETO), we devised a targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) of epidermal growth factor-chitosan-carboxyl single-walled carbon nanotubes-ETO (EGF/CHI/SWNT-COOHs/ETO) using modified SWNTs (m-SWNTs) as the carrier, EGF-functionalized SWNTs (f-SWNTs) as the targeted moiety and ETO as the drug. After SWNT-COOHs were conjugated with CHI (CHI/SWNT-COOHs/ETO), they displayed high solubility and stable dispersion in aqueous solution. The drug loading capacity was approximately 25-27%. The m-SWNTs and f-SWNTs had only slight cytotoxicity. ETO was released from EGF/CHI/SWNT-COOHs/ETO at low pH and taken up by tumour cells via adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent endocytosis. The cell death induced by EGF/CHI/SWNT-COOHs/ETO was as much as 2.7 times that due to ETO alone. In summary, these results demonstrated that our TDDS had a greater anticancer effect than free ETO in vitro.
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Supramolecular Medical Materials and Applications, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Cheng
C
Chen
Xiao-Xia
XX
Xie
Qian
Q
Zhou
Feng-Yi
FY
Zhang
Qiao-Ling
QL
Wang
Ya-Qing
YQ
Liu
Yina
Y
Zou
Qing
Q
Tao
Xue-Mei
XM
Ji
Shu-Qin
SQ
Yu
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013816:Thermodynamics
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D005047:Etoposide