An autonomous tumor-targeted nanoprodrug for reactive oxygen species-activatable dual-cytochrome c/doxorubicin antitumor therapy

Nanoscale. 2018 Jun 21;10(24):11418-11429. doi: 10.1039/c8nr02358a.

Abstract

The precise tumor cell-specific delivery of therapeutic proteins and the elimination of side effects associated with routine chemotherapeutic agents are two current critical considerations for tumor therapy. In this study, we report a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated yolk-shell nanoplatform for the tumor-specific co-delivery of cytochrome c (Cyt c) prodrug and doxorubicin, in which the bioactivity of Cyt c could be restored by the intracellular ROS-trigger and readily initiate the sequential doxorubicin release. The DOX-loaded lactobionic acid-modified yolk-shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles were first encapsulated with 4-nitrophenyl 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzyl carbonate (NBC)-modified Cyt c via boronic ester linkages, and functionalized again with lactobionic acid to further shield Cyt c and confer the selective tumor targeting against liver cancer cells. The key feature in this design is that by taking advantage of the boronic ester linkage, the cytotoxicity of Cyt c capped on the nanoparticle could be temporarily deactivated during blood transportation and rapidly restored upon exposure to the ROS-rich microenvironment within liver cancer cells, thereby simultaneously achieving the protein therapy and stimuli-responsive doxorubicin release. This study presents a novel strategy for the development of tumor-sensitive co-delivery nanoplatforms.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytochromes c / administration & dosage*
  • Doxorubicin / administration & dosage*
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Drug Liberation
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice, Nude
  • Nanoparticles*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Prodrugs / administration & dosage
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / chemistry*
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Prodrugs
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Doxorubicin
  • Cytochromes c