Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
Synthesis of Aptamer-PEI-g-PEG Modified Gold Nanoparticles Loaded with Doxorubicin for Targeted Drug Delivery
Published on: June 23, 2020
Plumbagin-loaded aptamer-targeted poly D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid-b-polyethylene glycol nanoparticles for prostate
Minjie Pan1, Weifeng Li, Jun Yang
1Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan Changzhou NO.2 People's Hospital, Changzhou Department of Urology, Wuhan Medical Care Center for Women and Children Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
Plumbagin inhibits the growth, metastasis, and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa). However, its lower bioavailability limits biopharmaceutical properties due to insolubility in water. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) aptamer-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) significantly enhanced cytotoxicity in prostate epithelial cells. This study aimed to investigate the effects of plumbagin-loaded prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) aptamer-targeted poly D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid-b-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) nanoparticles (NPs) on prostate cancer (PCa) in vitro.PLGA-PEG with a terminal carboxylic acid group (PLGA-PEG-COOH) was synthesized, and plumbagin was loaded on PLGA-PEG-COOH NPs using the nanoprecipitation method and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and laser light scattering. The uptake and distribution of plumbagin-NPs in human PCa LNCaP cells were investigated by fluorescent labeling. Subsequently, PSMA antibody-targeted PLGA-PEG-COOH NPs (targeted NPs) were prepared by covalent binding and characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of plumbagin-loaded, targeted NPs was compared with that of nontargeted NPs in LNCaP cells in vitro.Plumbagin-NPs (diameter of 189.4 ± 30.6 nm and zeta potential of -17.1 ± 3.7 mV) were optimized based on theoretical drug loading of 5% and a ratio of water:acetone of 3:1. During the first 2 hours, the cumulative release rate of the drug was 66.4 ± 8.56%. Moreover, plumbagin-targeted NPs with nitrogen atoms were prepared. The uptake rate was 90% at 0.5 hours for targeted and nontargeted NPs. The IC50 of targeted NPs and nontargeted NPs was 32.59 ± 8.03 μM and 39.02 ± 7.64 μM, respectively.Plumbagin-loaded PSMA aptamer-targeted NPs can be used in targeted chemotherapy against PCa.
