title: Biocompatible cationic pullulan-g-desoxycholic acid-g-PEI micelles used to co-deliver drug and gene for cancer therapy.
abstract: The greatest crux in the combination of chemotherapy and gene therapy is the construction of a feasible and biocompatible carrier for loading the therapeutic drug and gene simultaneously. Here, a new amphiphilic bifunctional pullulan derivative (named as PDP) synthesized by grafting lipophilic desoxycholic acid and low-molecular weight (1kDa) branched polyethylenimine onto the backbone of pullulan was evaluated as a nano-carrier for the co-delivery of drug and gene for potential cancer therapy. PDP exhibited good blood compatibility and low cytotoxicity in the hemolysis and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, respectively. By self-assembly process, the amphiphilic PDP polymer formed cationic core-shell nanomicelles in aqueous solution with an average diameter of 160.8nm and a zeta potential of approximate 28mV. The PDP micelles had relative higher drug encapsulation efficiency (84.05%) and loading capacity (7.64%) for doxorubicin (DOX), an effective anti-tumor drug, demonstrating sustained drug release profile and good DNA-binding ability. The flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that PDP/DOX micelles could be successfully internalized by MCF-7 cells, and presenting higher cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells than that of free DOX. Furthermore, PDP micelles could efficiently transport tumor suppressor gene p53 into MCF-7 cells, and the expressed exogenous p53 protein induced MCF-7 cells to die. More excitedly, in comparison with single DOX or p53 delivery, the co-delivery of DOX and gene p53 using PDP micelles displayed higher cytotoxicity, induced higher apoptosis rate of tumor cells and blocked more effectively the migration of cancer cells in vitro. In tumor-bearing mice, co-delivery of DOX and p53 also exhibited enhanced antitumor efficacy as compared with single delivery of DOX or p53 alone. In summary, these results demonstrated that it is highly promising to use cationic PDP micelles for effectively co-delivering functional gene and chemotherapeutic agent, and thus improving antitumor efficacy and systemic toxicity.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China; School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
authors: Fangling
authors: F
authors: Ji
authors: School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
authors: Yongming
authors: Y
authors: Bao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China; School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Xia
authors: Department of Environmental Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, PR China.
authors: Lianying
authors: L
authors: Guo
authors: State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China; School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, PR China. Electronic address: wangjingyun67@dlut.edu.cn.
authors: Jingyun
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Environmental Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, PR China. Electronic address: liy76@yahoo.com.
authors: Yachen
authors: Y
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002412:Cations; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005936:Glucans / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008823:Micelles; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012756:Sheep; D014162:Transfection; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002412:Cations; D005936:Glucans; D008823:Micelles; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D004317:Doxorubicin; C009109:pullulan; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D004247:DNA
keywords: Biocompatibility; Cancer therapy; Co-delivery; DOX; Pullulan; p53