Self-assembled pH-responsive hyaluronic acid-g-poly((L)-histidine) copolymer micelles for targeted intracellular delivery of doxorubicin.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) was conjugated with hydrophobic poly(l-histidine) (PHis) to prepare a pH-responsive and tumor-targeted copolymer, hyaluronic acid-g-poly(l-histidine) (HA-PHis), for use as a carrier for anti-cancer drugs. The effect of the degree of substitution (DS) on the pH-responsive behaviour of HA-PHis copolymer micelles was confirmed by studies of particles of different sizes. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated that doxorubicin (DOX) was released from HA-PHis micelles in a pH-dependent manner. In vitro cytotoxicity assays showed that all the blank micelles were nontoxic. However, MTT assay against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells (overexpressed CD44 receptors) showed that DOX-loaded micelles with a low PHis DS were highly cytotoxic. Cellular uptake experiments revealed that these pH-responsive HA-PHis micelles taken up in great amounts by receptor-mediated endocytosis and DOX were efficiently delivered into cytosol. Moreover, micelles with the lowest DS exhibited the highest degree of cellular uptake, which indicated that the micelles were internalized into cells via CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis and the carboxylic groups of HA are the active binding sites for CD44 receptors. Endocytosis inhibition experiments and confocal images demonstrated that HA-PHis micelles were internalized into cells mainly via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and delivered to lysosomes, triggering release of DOX into the cytoplasm. These results confirm that the biocompatible pH-responsive HA-PHis micelles are a promising nanosystem for the intracellular targeted delivery of DOX.

Qiu L ，Li Z ，Qiao M ，Long M ，Wang M ，Zhang X ，Tian C ，Chen D ... -  《-》

Dual pH-responsive multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted treatment of breast cancer by combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

In the present study, a dual pH-responsive multifunctional nanoparticle system was designed for combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer through targeting immune cells and cancer cells. A proven anti-tumor immune regulator, R848, was encapsulated with poly(L-histidine) (PHIS) to form PHIS/R848 nanocores. Doxorubicin (DOX) was conjugated to hyaluronic acid (HA) through an acid-cleavable hydrazone bond linkage to synthesize polymeric prodrug HA-DOX, which was subsequently coated outside PHIS/R848 nanocores to form HA-DOX/PHIS/R848 nanoparticles. Ionization of PHIS around pH 6.5 (a pH value close to that of tumor microenvironment) switched the nature of this material from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, and thus triggered the release of R848 to exert immunoregulatory action. The rupture of hydrazone bond in HA-DOX at about pH 5.5 (pH of endo/lysosomes) accelerated the release of DOX to exert cytotoxic effects. In immune cells, PHIS/R848 nanocores exhibited strong immunoregulatory activities similar to those induced by free R848. In breast cancer cells overexpressing CD44, HA-DOX was specially internalized by CD44-mediated endocytosis and significantly inhibited the cell growth. In 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, HA-DOX/PHIS/R848 nanoparticles showed excellent tumor-targeting ability and remarkably inhibited the tumor growth by regulating tumor immunity and killing tumor cells. In summary, this multifunctional nanoparticle system could deliver R848 and DOX respectively to tumor microenvironment and breast cancer cells to achieve synergistic effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy against breast cancer. Combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy is becoming a promising new treatment for cancer. The major challenge is to target cancer and immune cells simultaneously and specifically. In this study, a dual pH-responsive multifunctional nanoparticle system based on poly(L-histidine) and hyaluronic acid was designed for co-loading R848 (immune-regulator) and doxorubicin (chemotherapeutic drug) through different encapsulation modes. By responding to the acidic pHs of tumor microenvironment and intracellular organelles, this multifunctional nanoparticle system could release R848 extracellularly and deliver DOX targetedly to breast cancer cells, thus achieving synergistic effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy against breast cancer.

Liu Y ，Qiao L ，Zhang S ，Wan G ，Chen B ，Zhou P ，Zhang N ，Wang Y ... -  《-》

Synthesis and characterization of pH-sensitive poly(itaconic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-folate-poly(l-histidine) micelles for enhancing tumor therapy and tunable drug release.

pH responsive intracellular tumor targeting is increasingly investigated as a pathway to trigger the release of anti-tumor drugs once the drug carrier reached the unique acidic environment of the solid tumors or after the drug carrier has been taken up by cells, resulting in the localization of the micelles in the acidic endosomes and lysosomes. Poly(itaconic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-folate-poly(l-histidine) (PIA-PEG-FA-PHIS) was synthesized as a carrier for tumor-targeted drug delivery. The micelles were internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis, and the combination of active targeting and triggered release resulted in apparent cytotoxicity and antitumor activity. The MTT assay showed DOX-loaded micelles had higher and obvious cytotoxicity against Hela cells at pH 5.0 than that at pH 7.4. Cellular uptake experiments revealed that these pH-responsive PIA-PEG-FA-PHIS micelles were taken up in great amounts by receptor-mediated endocytosis and delivered to lysosomes, triggering release of DOX into the cytoplasm. These indicated that the PIA-PEG-FA-PHIS micelles could be a promising drug delivery system with preeminent stability for targeting the hydrophobic drugs to cancer cells and releasing DOX in to the cells by sensing the acidic environment of the endosomes for cancer therapy.

Sun Y ，Li Y ，Nan S ，Zhang L ，Huang H ，Wang J ... -  《-》

Poly(l-histidine) based triblock copolymers: pH induced reassembly of copolymer micelles and mechanism underlying endolysosomal escape for intracellular delivery.

Zhang X ，Chen D ，Ba S ，Zhu J ，Zhang J ，Hong W ，Zhao X ，Hu H ，Qiao M ... -  《-》

Cellular uptake, intracellular trafficking, and antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin-loaded reduction-sensitive micelles.

Reduction-sensitive micelles were prepared from monomethoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-S-S-hexadecyl (mPEG-S-S-C16), an amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol) derivative containing a disulfide bond. The micelles were then used for the intracellular delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) into tumor cells, and the cellular uptake mechanisms of the micelles were determined. To serve as a control, monomethoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-C-C-hexadecyl (mPEG-C-C-C16) with an analogous structure but without a disulfide bond was also prepared. The polymer could self-assemble into micelles in an aqueous solution and be loaded with high-content DOX. In vitro release studies revealed that DOX-loaded mPEG-S-S-C16 micelles released DOX faster than DOX-loaded mPEG-C-C-C16 micelles in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT), but showed similar release rates in the absence of DTT. MTT assay demonstrated significantly enhanced cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded mPEG-S-S-C16 micelles against the human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) compared with DOX-loaded mPEG-C-C-C16 micelles, but there was no significant difference in the cytotoxicity between the two DOX-loaded micelles against the african green monkey SV40-transformed kidney fibroblast cells (COS-7). Confocal laser scanning microscopy observation and flow cytometry analyses indicated that DOX-loaded mPEG-S-S-C16 micelles were efficiently internalized into HeLa cells, released DOX into the cytoplasm, and entered the nuclei. By contrast, in the case of DOX-loaded mPEG-C-C-C16 micelles, little DOX was found in the nuclei. Endocytosis inhibition results proved that both mPEG-S-S-C16 and mPEG-C-C-C16 micelles entered the HeLa cells mainly through the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway, and caveolae-mediated endocytosis was involved to a small extent. These results indicated that the different behaviors of cell uptake between reduction-sensitive and -insensitive micelles may occur after the micelles were internalized into the cells, but not during endocytosis, and the potential of this reduction-sensitive polymer for the effective intracellular delivery of anticancer drugs.

Cui C ，Xue YN ，Wu M ，Zhang Y ，Yu P ，Liu L ，Zhuo RX ，Huang SW ... -  《-》