pH-Responsive Lipid Nanocapsules: A Promising Strategy for Improved Resistant Melanoma Cell Internalization

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Oncology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Melanoma therapy faces challenges with low response rates and multidrug resistance (MDR).
• Decreased intratumoral pH exacerbates MDR and reduces anticancer drug sensitivity.
• Nanomedicines offer potential for delivering MDR-reversing agents and improving cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel pH-sensitive lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) for enhanced melanoma treatment.
• To engineer LNCs with copolymers for stealth properties and pH-responsive tumor cell entry.
• To investigate the efficacy of modified LNCs in overcoming chemoresistance.

Main Methods:

• Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) were modified with N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) and vinyl imidazole (Vim) copolymers.
• The resulting P5 polymer-coated LNCs were characterized for pH-responsive charge transition.
• In vitro studies assessed cellular uptake under acidic conditions and biological effects, including opsonization resistance.

Main Results:

• P5-modified LNCs exhibited pH-responsive properties, transitioning from neutral to positive charge in acidic conditions.
• Enhanced cellular uptake was observed under acidic conditions, indicating improved tumor cell entry.
• P5 surface modification increased biological effect and protected nanocarriers from opsonization.

Conclusions:

• pH-sensitive LNCs demonstrate promising potential as nanocarriers for targeting metastatic melanoma.
• The developed nanomedicine effectively addresses chemoresistance associated with acidic tumor microenvironments.
• Surface modification with specific copolymers enhances LNC performance and therapeutic efficacy.