Enhanced uptake and transport of PLGA-modified nanoparticles in cervical cancer

Uncoordinated cellular proliferation and dysregulated angiogenesis in solid tumors are coupled with inadequate tissue, blood, and lymphatic vascularization. Consequently, tumors are often characterized by hypoxic regions with limited access to vascular-borne substances. In particular, systemically administered nanoparticles (NPs) targeting tumor cells and relying on vascular access to reach tumor tissue can suffer from limited therapeutic efficacy due to inhomogeneous intra-tumor distribution and insufficient cellular internalization of NPs. To circumvent these challenges, NP surfaces can be modified to facilitate tumor interstitial transport and cellular uptake.

We create poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid NPs modified with MPG, polyethylene glycol (PEG), MPG/PEG, and Vimentin (VIM), and evaluate their cellular uptake in 2D (monolayer) cell culture of human cervical carcinoma (HeLa). We compare NP performance by evaluating uptake by non-cancerous vaginal (VK2) cells. We further assess NP interstitial transport in hypo-vascularized lesions by evaluating the effect of the various modifications on NP penetration in 3D cell culture of the HeLa cells. Results show that after 24 h incubation with HeLa cells in monolayer, MPG, MPG/PEG, PEG, and VIM NPs were internalized at 66×, 24×, 30×, and 15× that of unmodified NPs, respectively. In contrast, incubation with VK2 cells in monolayer showed that MPG , MPG/PEG , PEG , and VIM NPs internalized at 6.3×, 4.3×, 12.4×, and 3.0× that of unmodified NPs, respectively. Uptake was significantly enhanced in tumorigenic vs. normal cells, with internalization of MPG NPs by HeLa cells being twice that of PEG NPs by VK2 cells. After 24 h incubation in HeLa 3D cell culture, MPG and MPG/PEGNPs were internalized 2× and 3× compared to PEG and VIM NPs, respectively. Whereas MPG NPs were internalized mostly in the cell culture periphery (1.2×, 1.4×, and 2.7× that of PEG, MPG/PEG, and VIM NPs, respectively), PEG NPs at 250 μm penetrated 2× farther into the tissue culture than MPG NPs. For all NP types, cellular internalization was severely hindered in 3D compared to monolayer.

Although MPG surface modification enhances internalization and uptake in hypo-vascularized cervical tissue culture, coating with PEG reduces this internalization while enhancing penetration. A delivery strategy combining NPs with either modification may balance cellular internalization vs. tissue penetration in hypo-vascularized cervical cancer lesions.