Ultralong circulating choline phosphate liposomal nanomedicines for cascaded chemo-radiotherapy

Biomater Sci. 2019 Mar 26;7(4):1335-1344. doi: 10.1039/c9bm00051h.

Abstract

Cancer radiation therapy (RT) is limited by endogenous DNA repair of tumor cells and microenvironmental hypoxia in tumor tissues. Herein, we demonstrated an effective cancer chemo-radiotherapy strategy based on choline phosphate liposomal nanomedicines, which inhibit the intrinsic radioresistance of RT and concomitantly harness the RT-induced hypoxia to produce additional toxicity to overcome post-RT radioresistance. To achieve this strategy, a radiotherapy sensitizer, vorinostat, and a hypoxia-activated banoxantrone dihydrochloride (AQ4N) were simultaneously delivered to a tumor using liposomes composed of an inverted polarity lipid 2-((2,3-bis(oleoyloxy)propyl)dimethylammonio)ethyl ethyl phosphate (DOCPe). The DOCPe liposomes exhibited a longer blood circulation time and enhanced tumor accumulation, compared to their zwitterionic phosphocholine counterpart. The RT was sensitized by vorinostat to kill non-tolerant normoxic tumor cells efficiently. The irradiation aggravated hypoxia-activated AQ4N to further potentiate RT treatment. This chemo-radiotherapy combination showed excellent tumor treatment efficacy and is promising for future clinical translation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthraquinones / chemistry
  • Anthraquinones / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Hypoxia / drug effects
  • Chemoradiotherapy*
  • Female
  • Liposomes / blood
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Liposomes / pharmacokinetics
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / pathology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nanomedicine*
  • Phosphorylcholine / blood
  • Phosphorylcholine / chemistry*
  • Phosphorylcholine / pharmacokinetics
  • Vorinostat / chemistry
  • Vorinostat / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anthraquinones
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Liposomes
  • Phosphorylcholine
  • Vorinostat
  • AQ4N