Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most potent cancer drugs; however, its low solubility and strong systemic side effects limit its clinical applications. To overcome these issues, new drug formulations and chemical modifications have been proposed. In this study, we present conjugation of PTX to hybrid collagen-cell penetrating peptide (COL-CPP) carriers. The peptide carrier is highly soluble and utilizes a unique stabilization strategy: folding into a triple helix. Here, we report the formation of PTX-COL-CPP prodrug that has similar drug potency as free PTX when tested in Jurkat (human T lymphocyte of acute T cell leukemia) cells but not in A549 (human epithelial of lung carcinoma) cells. Confocal images and flow cytometry show that this behavior originates from lower cellular uptake of COL-CPP and endosomal entrapment of the prodrug in A549, but not in Jurkat cells.
Keywords: Peptide carriers; cancer cells; collagen peptides; helical peptides; paclitaxel.