Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment
11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

2.3K

Sugar Modification Enhances Cytotoxic Activity of PAMAM-Doxorubicin Conjugate in Glucose-Deprived MCF-7 Cells -

Krzysztof Sztandera1, Paula Działak1, Monika Marcinkowska1

  • 1Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 141/143 Pomorska St, 90-236, Lodz, Poland.

Pharmaceutical Research
|August 2, 2019
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This study developed a glucose-modified dendrimer for targeted doxorubicin delivery to breast cancer cells. The formulation enhances drug efficacy by targeting glucose transporters (GLUTs) overexpressed on tumor cells, offering a promising platform for cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Classical chemotherapy faces challenges including side effects and lack of targeted delivery.
  • Tumor cells exhibit heightened glucose metabolism, presenting a potential target for drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an innovative, glucose-modified polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer for targeted delivery of doxorubicin to breast cancer cells.
  • To leverage the intensified glucose metabolism of cancer cells for selective drug targeting.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and characterization of the glucose-modified PAMAM-doxorubicin conjugate (PAMAM-dox-glc).
  • Evaluation of drug release kinetics under varying pH conditions.
  • Assessment of glucose transporter (GLUT) family receptor expression via RT-PCR and flow cytometry.
  • Determination of conjugate cytotoxicity using MTT assay, with and without GLUT1 inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • The PAMAM-dox-glc conjugate demonstrated pH-dependent doxorubicin release.
  • Enhanced cytotoxic activity was observed in glucose-deprived medium, correlating with GLUT family receptor overexpression in cancer cells.
  • Specific GLUT1 inhibitors effectively eliminated the toxic effect of the conjugate, confirming targeted uptake.

Conclusions:

  • Glucose modification is critical for the recognition and uptake of the dendrimer by cells overexpressing GLUT receptors.
  • The GLUT1 transporter plays a significant role in the cytotoxic efficacy of the PAMAM-dox-glc conjugate.
  • PAMAM-glucose formulations represent a viable platform for targeted anticancer drug delivery to tumors with high GLUT transporter expression.
Keywords:
PAMAM dendrimerdoxorubicinglucoseglucose transporterstumor targeting

More Related Videos

Microfluidic Device for the Separation of Non-Metastatic MCF-7 and Non-Tumor MCF-10A Breast Cancer Cells Using AC Dielectrophoresis08:33

Microfluidic Device for the Separation of Non-Metastatic MCF-7 and Non-Tumor MCF-10A Breast Cancer Cells Using AC Dielectrophoresis

Published on: August 11, 2022

2.9K
Author Spotlight: Quantitative Assessment of 8-oxo-dG in MCF-7 Cells Using ELISA05:13

Author Spotlight: Quantitative Assessment of 8-oxo-dG in MCF-7 Cells Using ELISA

Published on: May 24, 2024

1.7K

Related Concept Videos

Phloem and Sugar Transport02:02

Phloem and Sugar Transport

Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
39.8K
Secondary Active Transport01:55

Secondary Active Transport

One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme “pump” embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
137.3K
Glucose Transporters01:27

Glucose Transporters

Glucose transporters facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membrane. In addition to glucose, some glucose transporters can also aid the movement of other hexoses such as fructose, mannose, and galactose.
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
27.2K
Conjugated Proteins02:50

Conjugated Proteins

Simple proteins and protein complexes contain only amino acids. In contrast, many other proteins, called conjugated proteins, covalently bond with non-protein moieties.
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
27.5K
Primary Active Transport01:47

Primary Active Transport

In contrast to passive transport, active transport involves a substance being moved through membranes in a direction against its concentration or electrochemical gradient. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport and secondary active transport. Primary active transport utilizes chemical energy from ATP to drive protein pumps that are embedded in the cell membrane. With energy from ATP, the pumps transport ions against their electrochemical gradients—a direction...
196.7K
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Role of Transporters01:27

Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Role of Transporters

A drug's nonlinear kinetics can be influenced by a diverse range of transporter proteins that serve as crucial players in drug distribution. These transporters, found within cells, can enhance or reduce local drug concentrations by facilitating the influx or efflux of drugs. For instance, the expression of xenobiotic transporters can be influenced by factors such as age and gender, potentially impacting the linearity of drug response.
Polymorphisms occurring in drug transporters can alter...
286