Smart sarcosinate-based catanionic vesicles for efficient doxorubicin delivery in tumor microenvironments

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Catanionic mixtures form self-assembled aggregates with tunable properties, offering potential for drug delivery.
• Existing catanionic vesicles often lack favorable cytotoxicity, high drug loading, and bioactivity.
• Developing biocompatible and effective nanocarriers for chemotherapy remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate pH-sensitive catanionic vesicles for drug delivery applications.
• To evaluate the cytotoxicity, drug loading, and release profiles of novel vesicle formulations.
• To assess the *in vitro* efficacy of drug-loaded vesicles in cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of catanionic vesicles using sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (SLSar) and cationic double-tailed surfactants.
• Characterization of vesicle properties including size, surface charge, and colloidal stability.
• Cytotoxicity screening using L929 fibroblasts and doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulation and release studies.

Main Results:

• Spontaneous formation of stable vesicles at low critical aggregation concentrations.
• Gemini/SLSar systems demonstrated superior DOX encapsulation efficiency and pH-sensitive release at acidic pH.
• Rapid cellular uptake and potent cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded vesicles at significantly lower concentrations than free DOX.

Conclusions:

• SLSar-based catanionic vesicles represent a simple, stable, and tunable platform for drug delivery.
• These vesicles show significant potential for pH-responsive, low-dose cancer chemotherapy.
• The enhanced therapeutic efficacy suggests potential for reduced systemic toxicity in cancer treatment.