Multifunctional Dendrimer-Entrapped Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with Doxorubicin for pH-Responsive Drug Delivery and Targeted Computed Tomography Imaging

Langmuir. 2018 Oct 16;34(41):12428-12435. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02901. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Abstract

Novel theranostic nanocarriers exhibit a desirable potential to treat diseases based on their ability to achieve targeted therapy while allowing for real-time imaging of the disease site. Development of such theranostic platforms is still quite challenging. Herein, we present the construction of multifunctional dendrimer-based theranostic nanosystem to achieve cancer cell chemotherapy and computed tomography (CT) imaging with targeting specificity. Doxorubicin (DOX), a model anticancer drug, was first covalently linked onto the partially acetylated poly(amidoamine) dendrimers of generation 5 (G5) prefunctionalized with folic acid (FA) through acid-sensitive cis-aconityl linkage to form G5·NHAc-FA-DOX conjugates, which were then entrapped with gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) to create dendrimer-entrapped Au NPs (Au DENPs). We demonstrate that the prepared DOX-Au DENPs possess an Au core size of 2.8 nm, have 9.0 DOX moieties conjugated onto each dendrimer, and are colloid stable under different conditions. The formed DOX-Au DENPs exhibit a pH-responsive release profile of DOX because of the cis-aconityl linkage, having a faster DOX release rate under a slightly acidic pH condition than under a physiological pH. Importantly, because of the coexistence of targeting ligand FA and Au core NPs as a CT imaging agent, the multifunctional DOX-loaded Au DENPs afford specific chemotherapy and CT imaging of FA receptor-overexpressing cancer cells. The constructed DOX-conjugated Au DENPs hold a promising potential to be utilized for simultaneous chemotherapy and CT imaging of various types of cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / chemistry
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dendrimers / chemical synthesis
  • Dendrimers / chemistry*
  • Doxorubicin / chemistry
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Drug Carriers / chemical synthesis
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry*
  • Drug Liberation
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Theranostic Nanomedicine
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Dendrimers
  • Drug Carriers
  • Gold
  • Doxorubicin