Polymer chemotherapy for head and neck cancer

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) present significant treatment challenges.
• Current chemotherapy delivery methods can have limitations in efficacy and toxicity.
• Novel drug delivery systems are needed to improve therapeutic outcomes for SCCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel biodegradable polymer, poly(FAD:SA), for chemotherapy delivery in head and neck SCCs.
• To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and release profiles of cisplatin, fluorouracil (5-FU), methotrexate (MTX), and paclitaxel from the polymer.
• To assess the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and toxicity of the polymer-chemotherapy combination against human SCCs.

Main Methods:

• Loading of four chemotherapeutic agents into the poly(FAD:SA) polymer.
• In vitro and in vivo studies of drug release kinetics and tissue penetration.
• Biocompatibility and toxicity assessments of the polymer-drug formulation.
• Evaluation of anti-tumor effectiveness against human SCC cell lines (O11, FADU, UM-SCC1) and in a human SCC xenograft nude mouse model.

Main Results:

• Continuous, first-order release kinetics observed for all four drugs from the polymer.
• High drug release percentages achieved within 10 days (e.g., >95% for MTX and 5-FU).
• Significant in vitro cytotoxicity against SCC cell lines (up to 96.6% cell kill).
• In vivo studies in nude mice showed statistically significant tumor growth delay with the polymer-cisplatin formulation compared to controls and free cisplatin.

Conclusions:

• The poly(FAD:SA) polymer serves as an effective delivery system for chemotherapy agents against head and neck SCCs.
• The polymer-chemotherapy combination demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity both in vitro and in vivo.
• This polymer-based chemotherapy approach represents a promising therapeutic strategy for head and neck cancer treatment.