Lysosomal delivery of a lipophilic gemcitabine prodrug using novel acid-sensitive micelles improved its antitumor activity.

ABSTRACT: Stimulus-sensitive micelles are attractive anticancer drug delivery systems. Herein, we reported a novel strategy to engineer acid-sensitive micelles using a amphiphilic material synthesized by directly conjugating the hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with a hydrophobic stearic acid derivative (C18) using an acid-sensitive hydrazone bond (PHC). An acid-insensitive PEG-amide-C18 (PAC) compound was also synthesized as a control. 4-(N)-Stearoyl gemcitabine (GemC18), a prodrug of the nucleoside analogue gemcitabine, was loaded into the micelles, and they were found to be significantly more cytotoxic to tumor cells than GemC18 solution, likely due to the lysosomal delivery of GemC18 by micelles. Moreover, GemC18 in the acid-sensitive PHC micelles was more cytotoxic than in the acid-insen

SUBMITTER: Zhu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3419313 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature