Polymeric micelles for apoptosis-targeted optical imaging of cancer and intraoperative surgical guidance

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 26;9(2):e89968. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089968. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

In a two-step strategy, an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) micelles containing paclitaxel (PTX), cyclopamine (CYP), and gossypol (GSP) at 30, 30, and 30 mg/kg, respectively, debulked tumor tissues by 1.3-fold, based on loss of bioluminescence with <10% body weight change, and induced apoptosis in peritoneal tumors when used as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in an ES-2-luc-bearing xenograft model for ovarian cancer. In a second step, a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of apoptosis-targeting GFNFRLKAGAKIRFGS-PEG-b-PCL micelles containing a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe, DiR (1,1'-dioctadecyltetramethyl indotricarbocyanine iodide), resulted in increased peritoneal DiR accumulation in apoptosis-induced ES-2-luc tumor tissues (ex vivo) by 1.5-fold compared with DiR molecules delivered by methoxy PEG-b-PCL micelles (non-targeted) at 48 h after i.v. injection in a second step. As a result, a tandem of PEG-b-PCL micelles enabled high-resolution detection of ca. 1 mm diameter tumors, resulting in resection of approximately 90% of tumors, and a low peritoneal cancer index (PCI) of ca. 7. Thus, a tandem of PEG-b-PCL micelles used for NCAT and NIR fluorescence imaging of therapy-induced apoptosis for intraoperative surgical guidance may be a promising treatment strategy for metastatic ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Dyes / administration & dosage
  • Fluorescent Dyes / pharmacology
  • Gossypol / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Lactones / administration & dosage*
  • Luminescent Measurements
  • Mice
  • Micelles*
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / methods
  • Optical Imaging / methods*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / surgery
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology
  • Polyethylene Glycols / administration & dosage*
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Veratrum Alkaloids / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Lactones
  • Micelles
  • Veratrum Alkaloids
  • poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Gossypol
  • Paclitaxel
  • cyclopamine