Cell-penetrating hyperbranched polyprodrug amphiphiles for synergistic reductive milieu-triggered drug release and enhanced magnetic resonance signals

J Am Chem Soc. 2015 Jan 14;137(1):362-8. doi: 10.1021/ja5105848. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

Abstract

The rational design of theranostic nanoparticles exhibiting synergistic turn-on of therapeutic potency and enhanced diagnostic imaging in response to tumor milieu is critical for efficient personalized cancer chemotherapy. We herein fabricate self-reporting theranostic drug nanocarriers based on hyperbranched polyprodrug amphiphiles (hPAs) consisting of hyperbranched cores conjugated with reduction-activatable camptothecin prodrugs and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agent (Gd complex), and hydrophilic coronas functionalized with guanidine residues. Upon cellular internalization, reductive milieu-actuated release of anticancer drug in the active form, activation of therapeutic efficacy (>70-fold enhancement in cytotoxicity), and turn-on of MR imaging (∼9.6-fold increase in T1 relaxivity) were simultaneously achieved in the simulated cytosol milieu. In addition, guanidine-decorated hPAs exhibited extended blood circulation with a half-life up to ∼9.8 h and excellent tumor cell penetration potency. The hyperbranched chain topology thus provides a novel theranostic polyprodrug platform for synergistic imaging/chemotherapy and enhanced tumor uptake.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Membrane Permeability* / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Liberation* / drug effects
  • Guanidine / chemistry
  • Guanidine / metabolism
  • Guanidine / pharmacology
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanoparticles / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction / drug effects
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Polymers / metabolism*
  • Polymers / pharmacology
  • Prodrugs / chemistry
  • Prodrugs / metabolism*
  • Prodrugs / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry
  • Surface-Active Agents / metabolism*
  • Surface-Active Agents / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Polymers
  • Prodrugs
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • Guanidine