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Abstract
Combined delivery of chemical drug and therapeutic gene has been introduced as an efficient method for the treatment of cancers such as glioblastoma. In this study, bis-chloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) small interfering RNA (VEGF-siRNA) were co-delivered into C6 glioblastoma cells using a non-toxic peptide-based carrier. The R3V6 peptides, which are composed of 3-arginine and 6-valine, formed self-assembled micelles in aqueous solution. BCNU, a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, was loaded into the hydrophobic core of the micelles, forming BCNU-loaded R3V6 micelles (R3V6-BCNU). In gel retardation assay, R3V6-BCNU formed a stable complex with siRNA. In vitro transfection assay showed that the VEGF-siRNA/R3V6-BCNU complex had the highest transfection efficiency into C6 cells at a 1:20 weight ratio (VEGF-siRNA:R3V6-BCNU). In addition, the VEGF-siRNA/R3V6-BCNU complexes had higher delivery efficiency than lipofectamine or naked siRNA. VEGF expressions were remarkably decreased by transfection of the VEGF-siRNA/R3V6 or VEGF-siRNA/R3V6-BCNU complexes. Furthermore, R3V6-BCNU delivered BCNU more efficiently into the cells than BCNU only. Therefore, R3V6 delivered both VEGF-siRNA and BCNU efficiently into the glioblastoma cells. The results suggest that R3V6-BCNU may be useful for combined delivery of siRNA and chemical drug into cancer cells.