Ultrasound-Sensitive Liposomal Exatecan for Tumor-Specific Drug Release for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers, largely due to its dense stromal architecture and poor intratumoral drug penetration. To address this challenge, IMP305 was developed as an ultrasound-sensitive liposome for tumor-localized drug release. In particular, IMP305 is dominantly capable of release by ultrasound-mediated cavitation. Methods: This ultrasound-sensitive liposome integrates tumor-specific drug delivery with cavitation-induced loosening of the stromal architecture in PDAC, thereby enabling more efficient intratumoral drug release using PANC-1 xenografted mouse. Results: The maximal tolerance dose of exatecan was increased by encapsulation into IMP305. Cavitation-triggered structural disruption of IMP305 was 84.68 ± 6.21%, which resulted in a robust release of approximately 84.4 ± 1.95% of the encapsulated exatecan. In PANC-1 xenograft models, IMP305 exhibited a maximal tolerance dose approximately four times higher than that of free exatecan and demonstrated markedly superior antitumor ability. Especially, IMP305 combined with focused ultrasound achieved the most pronounced therapeutic benefit, demonstrating a 49.17 ± 9.00% reduction in tumor volume at day 48 and an 80% survival rate at day 60. Conclusions: In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that ultrasound-activated IMP305 significantly enhances intratumoral accumulation and release of exatecan, resulting in superior tumor suppression while mitigating systemic toxicity.