Internalized compartments encapsulated nanogels for targeted drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Natural particulates inspire advanced drug delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy.
• Endosomes, formed during cell internalization, possess surface proteins for specific homotypic cell targeting.
• Developing biomimetic nanocarriers is crucial for enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing off-target effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate an internalized compartments encapsulated nanogel with endosome membrane components (EM-NG) using cancer cell-derived membranes.
• To evaluate the targeted drug delivery potential of EM-NGs, specifically their homotypic targeting capabilities.
• To assess the therapeutic efficiency of EM-NGs loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) in source versus non-source cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of EM-NGs via in situ crosslinking of methacrylated hyaluronic acid (m-HA) nanoparticles after intracellular uptake and UV irradiation.
• Encapsulation of doxorubicin (DOX) within the nanogel structure.
• In vitro evaluation of nanogel internalization efficiency and therapeutic efficacy in source and non-source cancer cells.

Main Results:

• EM-NGs demonstrated significantly enhanced internalization efficiency in source cancer cells due to homotypic targeting.
• DOX-loaded EM-NGs showed improved therapeutic effects in source cells compared to bare nanogels.
• No significant difference in therapeutic efficiency was observed when EM-NGs were applied to non-source cells.

Conclusions:

• Internalized compartments encapsulated formulations, inspired by natural endosomes, show potential for targeted cancer therapy.
• EM-NGs exhibit specific homotypic targeting, enhancing drug delivery to cancer cells of origin.
• This approach provides a guideline for developing natural particulate-inspired drug delivery systems for precision oncology.