A Selective Drug Delivery System Based on Phospholipid-Type Nanobubbles for Lung Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Aim: To develop a micelle-type nanobubble decorated with fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate-conjugated transferrin, with encapsulation of paclitaxel (PTX@FT-NB) for lung cancer treatment. Materials & methods: PTX@FT-NBs were characterized to determine their physicochemical properties, structural stability and cytotoxicity. Lung cancer cell and mouse xenograft tumor models were used to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of PTX@FT-NB. Results: The PTX@FT-NBs not only showed selective targeting to lung cancer cells but also inhibited tumor growth significantly via paclitaxel release. Furthermore, paclitaxel-induced microtubule stabilization demonstrated the release of the drug from PTX@FT-NB in the targeted tumor cell both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: PTX@FT-NB has the potential as an anticancer nanocarrier against lung cancer cells because of its specific targeting and better drug delivery capacity.

Graphical abstract

Keywords::

• lung cancer cells
• microtubule stabilization
• nanobubble
• paclitaxel
• transferrin

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2020-0273

Author contributions

MH Chan, YC Chan and M Hsiao designed and performed the study and co-wrote the manuscript. M Hsiao and RS Liu discussed the data, developed the theoretical aspect and wrote the manuscript. All authors commented on the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by grants from the Academia Sinica (AS-SUMMIT-108 and AS-SUMMIT-109) to M. Hsiao. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan Contract No. MOST-108-3114-Y-001-002 and ASKPQ-109-BioMed to M Hsiao and MOST 109-2113-M-002-020-MY3 and MOST 107-2113-M-002-008-MY3 to R.S. Liu for their financial support. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was provided by Elsevier Language Editing and was funded by Academia Sinica (AS-SUMMIT-109), Taiwan.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have all animal experiments were carried out in compliance with the Academia Sinica Institutional Animal Care and Utilization Committee and approved to perform at the Genomic Research Center, Academia.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Academia Sinica (AS-SUMMIT-108 and AS-SUMMIT-109) to M. Hsiao. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan Contract No. MOST-108-3114-Y-001-002 and ASKPQ-109-BioMed to M Hsiao and MOST 109-2113-M-002-020-MY3 and MOST 107-2113-M-002-008-MY3 to R.S. Liu for their financial support. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.