Treatment of Breast Cancer with Silver Antitumor Drugs Encapsulated In Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticles

摘要

Several silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes have been synthesized and tested for their anticancer activity. In vitro studies have shown these complexes to be active against ovarian, breast, melanoma, colon, renal, bladder, and prostate human cancer cell lines. An in vivo study on a silver carbene complex using an ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3) xenograft model in athymic nude mice has produced encouraging results. The administration of the silver complex subcutaneously into the tumor site resulted in necrosis of the tumors with no adverse effects to surrounding tissues or internal organs. Building on earlier results the silver complexes were encapsulated in nanoparticles in order to provide a platform for receptor targeting of specific cancer cells and to improve the stability of the complexes for systemic injection. We are currently investigating poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) coupled with polyethylene glycol and utilizing folic acid receptors to provide this mode of delivery.