Redox-Sensitive Camptothecin Prodrug: A Promising Drug Delivery Strategy with Ultrahigh Drug Loading and Tunable Drug Release.

ABSTRACT: Small molecular drugs play a critical role in cancer therapy but face challenges like poor solubility, severe side effects, and inefficient delivery. Polymeric micellar-based drug delivery systems show promise but struggle with low drug loading, instability, and premature drug release partly due to the incompatible physicochemical properties. Here, we report a simple and efficient method to develop redox-sensitive camptothecin (CPT) prodrug by conjugating alkyl chains to CPT via a disulfide linker. By conjugating alkyl chains of varying lengths to CPT via a disulfide linker, we achieved high drug-loading efficiency and loading capacity, controlled responsive drug release, due to enhanced hydrophobic interaction and miscibility with the carrier. The prodrug loaded NPs exhibited slower drug

SUBMITTER: Fu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12355937 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature