title: Antitumor activity of folate-targeted, paclitaxel-loaded polymeric micelles on a human esophageal EC9706 cancer cell line.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal cancer is recognized as one of the most refractory pernicious diseases. In addition, it is an aggressive malignancy with a propensity for local progression and distant dissemination. Because of the poor long-term prognosis for patients with esophageal cancer, increasing attention has focused on the integration of targeted agents into current therapeutics. Nevertheless, there have been few studies reported concerning the therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel-conjugated polymeric micelles in human esophageal cancer in vivo. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the tumor inhibition effect of composite micelles containing folic acid and paclitaxel on the human esophageal EC9706 cancer cell line.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intravenous administration of folate-targeted, paclitaxel-loaded micelles was demonstrated to be more efficient in inhibiting subcutaneous xenograft tumors and extending the survival rate of tumor-bearing nude mice than free paclitaxel and plain paclitaxel micelles at an equivalent paclitaxel dose of 20 mg/kg, which was further backed up by flow cytometry, TUNEL, and expression of apoptosis-related proteins, including Bax, Bcl2, and caspase 3 in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The folate-mediated paclitaxel-loaded polymeric micelle is a promising agent for the treatment of human esophageal cancer.
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Wenbin
authors: W
authors: Wu
authors: Yonghui
authors: Y
authors: Zheng
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Wang
authors: Weili
authors: W
authors: Huang
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Liu
authors: Xiuli
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: Shi
authors: S
authors: Liu
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Yue
authors: Ti
authors: T
authors: Tong
authors: Xiabin
authors: X
authors: Jing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008823:Micelles; D058726:Nanoconjugates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008823:Micelles; D058726:Nanoconjugates; D005492:Folic Acid; D017239:Paclitaxel