title: Core-shell nanoparticle-based peptide therapeutics and combined hyperthermia for enhanced cancer cell apoptosis.
abstract: Mitochondria-targeting peptides have garnered immense interest as potential chemotherapeutics in recent years. However, there is a clear need to develop strategies to overcome the critical limitations of peptides, such as poor solubility and the lack of target specificity, which impede their clinical applications. To this end, we report magnetic core-shell nanoparticle (MCNP)-mediated delivery of a mitochondria-targeting pro-apoptotic amphipathic tail-anchoring peptide (ATAP) to malignant brain and metastatic breast cancer cells. Conjugation of ATAP to the MCNPs significantly enhanced the chemotherapeutic efficacy of ATAP, while the presence of targeting ligands afforded selective delivery to cancer cells. Induction of MCNP-mediated hyperthermia further potentiated the efficacy of ATAP. In summary, a combination of MCNP-mediated ATAP delivery and subsequent hyperthermia resulted in an enhanced effect on mitochondrial dysfunction, thus resulting in increased cancer cell apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States .
authors.forename: Birju P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pasquale
authors.forename: Gejing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jianjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ki-Bum
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D016023:Integrins; D009842:Oligopeptides; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid
keywords: amphipathic tail-anchoring peptide; combined therapy; magnetic core−shell nanoparticle; magnetic hyperthermia; magnetically facilitated delivery; mitochondria-targeting peptide