141
Views
8
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Research

A Gastric Cancer Peptide GX1-Modified Nano-Lipid Carriers Encapsulating Paclitaxel: Design and Evaluation of Anti-Tumor Activity

, , , , , , , , ORCID Icon, & show all
Pages 2355-2370 | Published online: 12 Jun 2020
 

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to develop a GX1-modified nanostructured lipid carrier (NLCs) and to evaluate its ability to improve the anti-gastric cancer tumor effects of paclitaxel (PTX).

Main Methods

The GX1-modified NLCs were synthesized and loaded with PTX (GX1-PTX-NLCs) by emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The anti-tumor activity and pharmacodynamics were then evaluated by in vitro cell studies and animal experiments.

Key Findings

The GX1-modified NLCs were successfully synthesized and confirmed by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF-MS. PTX-loaded NLCs produced particles with average size distribution less than or equal to 222 nm and good drug loading and entrapment efficiency. In vitro studies demonstrated that GX1-PTX-NLCs had a more obvious inhibitory effect on Co-HUVEC cells than PTX and unmodified PTX-NLCs. The cellular uptake results also showed that GX1-PTX-NLCs were largely concentrated in Co-HUVEC cells, and the uptake rates of GX1-PTX-NLCs in Co-HUVEC were higher than those of the free drug and the PTX-NLC. In vivo studies demonstrated that GX1-PTX-NLCs possess strong anti-tumor effect and showed higher tumor growth inhibition and lower toxicity in nude mice.

Significance

These results suggest that GX1-modified NLCs enhanced the anti-tumor activity of PTX and reduced its toxicity effectively. GX1-PTX-NLCs may be considered as a potent drug delivery system for therapy of gastric cancer.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial assistance of this research from the Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant # 81602640] [Grant # 81602720].

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.