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Degradable Biotinylated Polyesters for Cancer Cell-Selective Targeting and Anticancer Drug Delivery.
Subhendu Biswas1, Priya Rajdev1, Ankita Banerjee1
1School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), 2A and 2B Raja S. C. Mullick, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
Biomacromolecules
|June 13, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel biodegradable polymers for targeted cancer drug delivery. These biotin-functionalized polyester nanocarriers show selective uptake by cancer cells, enabling controlled release of anticancer drugs like doxorubicin (DOX).
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Growing need for biodegradable polymers with stimuli-responsive drug release capabilities.
- Limitations in current synthetic methods hinder development.
- Biotin receptor-mediated targeting offers potential for cancer cell selectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize biotin-functionalized amphiphilic polyesters for targeted cancer therapy.
- Investigate the self-assembly, drug encapsulation, and cellular uptake of these nanocarriers.
- Evaluate the stimuli-responsive drug release mechanism in a cancer microenvironment.
Main Methods:
- Step-growth polymerization to synthesize polyesters P1 and P2.
- Self-assembly of P2 into nanoaggregates and encapsulation of doxorubicin (DOX).
- Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy for cellular uptake studies.
- Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) for degradation analysis.
Main Results:
- P2 formed biocompatible nanoaggregates (∼120 nm) capable of encapsulating DOX.
- High internalization (85-90%) in biotin-overexpressing cancer cells (HeLa, MCF7) vs. low uptake (5-10%) in noncancerous cells (NIH 3T3).
- Stimuli-responsive DOX release observed due to polyester degradation in acidic conditions and via esterases.
Conclusions:
- Successfully synthesized biotin-functionalized polyesters for targeted cancer cell uptake.
- Demonstrated stimuli-responsive, cell-selective drug release from polyester nanocarriers.
- Highlighted the potential of these nanocarriers for advanced cancer treatment strategies.
