Ultrasound-triggered delivery of paclitaxel encapsulated in an emulsion at low acoustic pressures

J Mater Chem B. 2020 Feb 26;8(8):1640-1648. doi: 10.1039/c9tb02493j.

Abstract

We investigated the in vitro ultrasound-triggered delivery of paclitaxel, a well known anti-cancerous drug, encapsulated in an emulsion and in the presence of CT26 tumor cells. The emulsion was made of nanodroplets, whose volume comprised 95% perfluoro-octyl bromide and 5% tributyl O-acetylcitrate, in which paclitaxel was solubilized. These nanodroplets, prepared using a high-pressure microfluidizer, were stabilized by a tailor-made and recently patented biocompatible fluorinated surfactant. The delivery investigations were performed at 37 °C using a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer at a frequency of 1.1 MHz. The ultrasonic pulse was made of 275 sinusoidal periods and the pulse repetition frequency was 200 Hz with a duty cycle of 5%. The measured viabilities of CT26 cells showed that paclitaxel delivery was achievable for peak-to-peak pressures of 0.4 and 3.5 MPa, without having to vaporize the perfluorocarbon part of the droplet or to induce inertial cavitation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Drug Compounding
  • Emulsions / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Paclitaxel / chemistry*
  • Paclitaxel / metabolism
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology
  • Pressure
  • Sonication
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Drug Carriers
  • Emulsions
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • Paclitaxel