Targeting Taxanes to Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells by Nanobubbles and Extracorporeal Shock Waves

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 21;11(12):e0168553. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168553. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

To target taxanes to castration-resistant prostate cancer cells, glycol-chitosan nanobubbles loaded with paclitaxel and docetaxel were constructed. The loaded nanobubbles were then combined with Extracorporeal Shock Waves, acoustic waves widely used in urology and orthopedics, with no side effects. Nanobubbles, with an average diameter of 353.3 ± 15.5 nm, entered two different castration-resistant prostate cancer cells (PC3 and DU145) as demonstrated by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The shock waves applied increased the amount of intracellular nanobubbles. Loading nanobubbles with paclitaxel and docetaxel and combining them with shock waves generated the highest cytotoxic effects, resulting in a paclitaxel GI50 reduction of about 55% and in a docetaxel GI50 reduction of about 45% respectively. Combined treatment also affected cell migration. Paclitaxel-loaded nanobubbles and shock waves reduced cell migration by more than 85% with respect to paclitaxel alone; whereas docetaxel-loaded nanobubbles and shock waves reduced cell migration by more than 82% with respect to docetaxel alone. The present data suggest that nanobubbles can act as a stable taxane reservoir in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells and shock waves can further increase drug release from nanobubbles leading to higher cytotoxic and anti-migration effect.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Chitosan / chemistry
  • Docetaxel
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Drug Liberation / radiation effects
  • High-Energy Shock Waves*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Paclitaxel / chemistry
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology
  • Particle Size
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / pathology
  • Taxoids / chemistry
  • Taxoids / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Drug Carriers
  • Taxoids
  • glycol-chitosan
  • Docetaxel
  • Chitosan
  • Paclitaxel

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Fondazione CRT 2015.1688 to MGC; “Research Fund ex-60%”, University of Turin, to RF and RC.