Peptide-tunable drug cytotoxicity via one-step assembled polymer nanoparticles

A novel class of nanoparticles is developed for the co-delivery of a short cell penetrating peptide and a chemotherapeutic drug to achieve enhanced cytotoxicity. Tunable cytotoxicity is achieved through non-toxic peptide-facilitated gating. The strategy relies on a one-step blending process from polymer building blocks to form monodisperse, PEGylated particles that are sensitive to cellular pH variations. By varying the amount of peptide loading, the chemotherapeutic effects can be enhanced by up to 30-fold.