Multifunctional drug nanocarriers formed by cRGD-conjugated beta CD-PAMAM-PEG for targeted cancer therapy

摘要

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer was conjugated with both carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Cyclic RGD peptide, used as a tumor targeting ligand, was then selectively conjugated onto the distal ends of the PEG arms. The resulting beta CD-PAMAM-PEG-cRGD polymer was able to form stable and uniform nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solution. Doxorubicin (Dox), a model hydrophobic anticancer drug, was effectively encapsulated in the NPs via an inclusion complex formed between the drug and beta CD. The Dox loading level was 16.8 wt%. The cellular uptake of cRGD-conjugated Dox-loaded NPs in the U87MG cell line was much higher than that of non-targeted NPs. Furthermore, the anti-proliferative effect of the cRGD-conjugated NPs was superior to that of free drug and non-targeted NPs. These results suggest that NPs formed by beta CD-PAMAM-PEG-cRGD with a high drug payload may significantly improve the anticancer efficacy by tumor-targeted delivery and enhanced cellular uptake. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.