Doxorubicin-Loaded Transferrin-Targeted Polymeric Micelles Rapidly Enter Cancer Cells and Accumulate near the Cell Nucleus

摘要

Polymeric micelles, amphiphilic block copolymers assembled into nanoscopic supramolecular core-shell structures, offer several potential advantages for advanced drug and gene delivery. These include a characteristic size less than 100nm, the capacity to entrap fragile or poorly water-soluble drugs in the hydrophobic core, and the ability to evade removal by the reticulo-endothelial system (RES) due to their small size and hydrophilic shell layer of poly(ethylene glycol). The small size of polymeric micelles may allow for passive targeting to cancer cells due to the leaky vasculature of cancerous tissues relative to normal tissue vessels