Conjugation of pH-responsive nanoparticles to neural stem cells improves intratumoral therapy.

ABSTRACT: Intratumoral drug delivery is an inherently appealing approach for concentrating toxic chemotherapies at the site of action. This mode of administration is currently used in a number of clinical treatments such as neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and even standalone therapies when radiation and surgery are not possible. However, even when injected locally, it is difficult to achieve efficient distribution of chemotherapeutics throughout the tumor. This is primarily attributed to the high interstitial pressure which results in gradients that drive fluid away from the tumor center. The stiff extracellular matrix also limits drug penetration throughout the tumor. We have previously shown that neural stem cells can penetrate tumor interstitium, actively migrating even to hypoxic tumor cores. When used t

SUBMITTER: Mooney R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4156897 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature