Journal of Nanobiotechnology (Nov 2017)

Aminoglucose-functionalized, redox-responsive polymer nanomicelles for overcoming chemoresistance in lung cancer cells

  • Yi Zhou,
  • Huaying Wen,
  • Liang Gu,
  • Jijun Fu,
  • Jiayi Guo,
  • Lingran Du,
  • Xiaoqin Zhou,
  • Xiyong Yu,
  • Yugang Huang,
  • He Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-017-0316-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 17

Abstract

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Abstract Background Chemotherapeutic drugs used for cancer therapy frequently encounter multiple-drug resistance (MDR). Nanoscale carriers that can target tumors to accumulate and release drugs intracellularly have the greatest potential for overcoming MDR. Glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) and glutathione (GSH) overexpression in cancer cells was exploited to assemble aminoglucose (AG)-conjugated, redox-responsive nanomicelles from a single disulfide bond-bridged block polymer of polyethylene glycol and polylactic acid (AG-PEG-SS-PLA). However, whether this dual functional vector can overcome MDR in lung cancer is unknown. Results In this experiment, AG-PEG-SS-PLA was synthetized successfully, and paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded AG-PEG-SS-PLA (AG-PEG-SS-PLA/PTX) nanomicelles exhibited excellent physical properties. These nanomicelles show enhanced tumor targeting as well as drug accumulation and retention in MDR cancer cells. Caveolin-dependent endocytosis is mainly responsible for nanomicelle internalization. After internalization, the disulfide bond of AG-PEG-SS-PLA is cleaved in the presence of high intracellular glutathione levels, causing the hydrophobic core to become a polar aqueous solution, which subsequently results in nanomicelle disassembly and the rapid release of encapsulated PTX. Reduced drug resistance was observed in cancer cells in vitro. The caspase-9 and caspase-3 cascade was activated by the AG-PEG-SS-PLA/PTX nanomicelles through upregulation of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bid and suppression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, thereby increasing apoptosis. Furthermore, significantly enhanced tumor growth inhibition was observed in nude mice bearing A549/ADR xenograft tumors after the administration of AG-PEG-SS-PLA/PTX nanomicelles via tail injection. Conclusions These promising results indicate that AG-PEG-SS-PLA/PTX nanomicelles could provide the foundation for a paradigm shift in MDR cancer therapy.

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