Alteration of genomic responses to doxorubicin and prevention of MDR in breast cancer cells by a polymer excipient: pluronic P85

Mol Pharm. 2006 Mar-Apr;3(2):113-23. doi: 10.1021/mp050050g.

Abstract

Polymer therapeutics has emerged as a new clinical option for the treatment of human diseases. However, little is known about pharmacogenetic responses to drugs formulated with polymers. In this study, we demonstrate that a formulation containing the block copolymer Pluronic P85 and antineoplastic drug doxorubicin (Dox) prevents the development of multidrug resistance in the human breast carcinoma cell line, MCF7. Specifically, MCF7 cells cultured in the presence of Pluronic were unable to stably grow in concentrations of Dox that exceeded 10 ng of Dox/mL of culture medium. In sharp contrast, MCF7 cells cultured in the absence of the block copolymer resulted in the selection and stable growth of cells that tolerated a 1000 times higher concentration of the drug (10 000 ng of Dox/mL of culture medium). Detailed characterization of the isolated sublines demonstrated that those cells selected in the polymer-drug formulation did not show amplification of the MDR1 gene, likely resulting in their high sensitivity to the drug. Conversely, cells selected with Dox alone showed an elevated level in the expression of the MDR1 gene along with a corresponding increase in the expression level of the drug efflux transporter, Pgp, and likely contributing to the high resistance of the cells to Dox. Global analysis of the expression profiles of 20K genes by DNA microarray revealed that the use of Pluronic in combination with Dox drastically changed the direction and magnitude of the genetic response of the tumor cells to Dox and may potentially enhance therapeutic outcomes. Overall, this study reinforces the need for a thorough assessment of pharmacogenomic effects of polymer therapeutics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism*
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Shape
  • Daunorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Daunorubicin / toxicity
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Genome, Human / drug effects
  • Genome, Human / genetics
  • Glutathione S-Transferase pi / genetics
  • Humans
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Poloxalene / pharmacology*
  • Rhodamine 123

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • pluronic block copolymer p85
  • Rhodamine 123
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Poloxalene
  • GSTP1 protein, human
  • Glutathione S-Transferase pi
  • Daunorubicin