Targeted multidrug-resistance reversal in tumor based on PEG-PLL-PLGA polymer nano drug delivery system

Abstract

The study investigated the reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR) and the biodistribution of nanoparticles (NPs) that target leukemia cells in a nude mice model via a surface-bound transferrin (Tf). The cytotoxic cargo of daunorubicin (DNR) and tetrandrine (Tet) was protected in the NPs by an outer coat composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-poly-l-lysine (PLL)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs. Injection of DNR-Tet-Tf-PEG-PLL-PLGA NPs into nude mice bearing MDR leukemia cell K562/A02 xenografts was shown to inhibit tumor growth, and contemporaneous immunohistochemical analysis of tumor tissue showed the targeted NPs induced apoptosis in tumor cells. Targeted tumor cells exhibited a marked increase in Tf receptor expression, with noticeable decreases in P-glycoprotein, MDR protein, and nuclear factor κB, as assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the concentration of DNR was shown to increase in plasma, tumor tissue, and major organs. Flow cytometry analysis with a near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dye, NIR797, was used to study the effectiveness of Tf as a targeting group for leukemia cells, a finding that was supported by NIRF imaging in tumor-bearing nude mice. In summary, our studies show that DNR-Tet-Tf-PEG-PLL-PLGA NPs provide a specific and effective means to target cytotoxic drugs to MDR tumor cells.

Keywords:

• PEG-PLL-PLGA nanoparticles
• transferrin
• tetrandrine
• multidrug resistance

Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Gerard Marriott of the Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, for his help in the improvement of the paper. This research was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program 973 of the People’s Republic of China (Number 2010CB732404), the National Nature Science Foundation of the People’s Republic of China (Numbers 81170492, 81370673), and the National High Technology Research and Development Program 863 Projects of the People’s Republic of China (Number 2012AA022703).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interests in this work.