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Hydrophobicity-Adaptive Polymers Trigger Fission of Tumor-Cell-Derived Microparticles for Enhanced Anticancer Drug

Haojie Liu1, Shiyi Xu1, Tuying Yong1,2,3,4,5

  • 1National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|September 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Modified tumor-derived microparticles (MPs) effectively deliver anticancer drugs. Polymers enhance circulation, tumor penetration, and drug release, improving cancer treatment efficacy against tumor cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • Tumor-cell-derived microparticles (MPs) show potential as drug carriers.
  • Limitations include short circulation, poor tumor penetration, and inefficient cellular uptake.
  • Challenges also exist in intracellular drug release for enhanced cytotoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To enhance the anticancer drug delivery efficacy of tumor-cell-derived MPs.
  • To overcome limitations of circulation time, tumor accumulation, and cellular internalization.
  • To improve intracellular drug release and cytotoxicity against tumor cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Main Methods:

  • Anchoring hydrophobicity-adaptive polymers (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) to tumor-cell-derived MPs.
  • Loading MPs with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX).
  • Evaluating the behavior of DOX-loaded MPs (DOX@MPs) in physiological and tumor microenvironments.

Main Results:

  • Hydrophilic polymers prolonged circulation time of DOX@MPs in blood.
  • Polymers became hydrophobic in the acidic tumor microenvironment, inducing MP fission into smaller vesicles.
  • This facilitated enhanced tumor accumulation, deep penetration, and efficient internalization by tumor cells and CSCs.
  • Hydrophobicity in acidic lysosomes promoted DOX release to nuclei, increasing cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

  • A facile strategy was developed for improved anticancer drug delivery using tumor-cell-derived MPs.
  • Hydrophobicity-adaptive polymers enhance MP performance for cancer therapy.
  • The approach shows promise for overcoming key challenges in MP-based drug delivery systems.
Keywords:
cancer chemotherapyfissionhydrophobicity-adaptive polymersin vivo transport processingtumor-cell-derived microparticles

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