title: Cationic vesicles based on amphiphilic pillar[5]arene capped with ferrocenium: a redox-responsive system for drug/siRNA co-delivery.
abstract: A novel ferrocenium capped amphiphilic pillar[5]arene (FCAP) was synthesized and self-assembled to cationic vesicles in aqueous solution. The cationic vesicles, displaying low cytotoxicity and significant redox-responsive behavior due to the redox equilibrium between ferrocenium cations and ferrocenyl groups, allow building an ideal glutathione (GSH)-responsive drug/siRNA co-delivery system for rapid drug release and gene transfection in cancer cells in which higher GSH concentration exists. This is the first report of redox-responsive vesicles assembled from pillararenes for drug/siRNA co-delivery; besides enhancing the bioavailability of drugs for cancer cells and reducing the adverse side effects for normal cells, these systems can also overcome the drug resistance of cancer cells. This work presents a good example of rational design for an effective stimuli-responsive drug/siRNA co-delivery system.
authors.affiliation: College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (P.R. China).
authors.forename: Yincheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Sisi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C064804:ferrocenium
keywords: cationic vesicles; drug/siRNA co-delivery; nanostructures; redox-responsive system; self-assembly