title: Folic acid-chitosan conjugated nanoparticles for improving tumor-targeted drug delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prepare folic acid-chitosan conjugated nanoparticles (FA-CS NPs) and evaluate their targeting specificity on tumor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chitosan (CS) NPs were prepared by ionic cross linking method, and folic acid (FA) was conjugated with CS NPs by electrostatic interaction. The properties of NPs were investigated, and doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) as a model drug was encapsulated for investigating drug release pattern in vitro. The cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of FA-CS NPs were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results reveal that the obtained FA-CS NPs were monodisperse nanoparticles with suitable average size and positive surface charge. Dox was easily loaded into FA-CS NPs, and the release pattern showed a long and biphasic drug release. Noticeable phagocytosis effect was observed in the presence of rhodamine B-labeled FA-CSNPs when incubating with the folate receptor-positive SMMC-7221 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the unmodified CS NPs, FA-CS NPs showed much higher cell uptaking ability due to the known folate-receptor mediated endocytosis. FA-CS NPs provide a potential way to enhance the using efficiency of antitumor drug by folate receptor mediated targeting delivery.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory for Science and Technology, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, China.
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Wenyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Bingya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D058972:Folic Acid Transporters / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D058972:Folic Acid Transporters; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D004317:Doxorubicin; D048271:Chitosan; D005492:Folic Acid