title: Polymeric nanocarriers for magnetic targeted drug delivery: preparation, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation.
abstract: In this paper the preparation of magnetic nanocarriers (MNCs), containing superparamagnetic domains, is reported, useful as potential magnetically targeted drug delivery systems. The preparation of MNCs was performed by using the PHEA-IB-p(BMA) graft copolymer as coating material through the homogenization-solvent evaporation method. Magnetic and nonmagnetic nanocarriers containing flutamide (FLU-MNCs) were prepared. The prepared nanocarriers have been exhaustively characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and magnetic measurements. Biological evaluation was performed by in vitro cytotoxicity and cell uptake tests and in vivo biodistribution studies. Magnetic nanocarriers showed dimensions of about 300 nm with a narrow size distribution, an amount of loaded FLU of 20% (w/w), and a superparamagnetic behavior. Cell culture experiments performed on prostate cancer cell line LNCaP demonstrated the cytotoxic effect of FLU-MNCs. In vivo biodistribution studies carried out by the application of an external magnetic field in rats demonstrated the effect of the external magnet on modifying the biodistribution of FLU-MNCs. FLU-MNCs resulted efficiently internalized by tumor cells and susceptible to magnetic targeting by application of an external magnetic field. The proposed nanocarriers can represent a very promising approach to obtain an efficient magnetically targeted anticancer drug delivery system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Laboratory of Biocompatible Polymers, University of Palermo , Via Archirafi, 32 90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Licciardi
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scialabba
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorica
authors.forename: Gennara
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cassata
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giammona
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D005485:Flutamide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010316:Particle Size; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010455:Peptides; C008965:alpha,beta-poly((2-hydroxyethyl)-aspartamide); D005485:Flutamide