Polymer Chemistry
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 24
·2513-2527
·
IF 4.1
Shuai Yang,Jinhai Xie,Dongdong Wang,Shuangyu Tian,Yaodong Di,Lesan Yan
The distinct variations in the microenvironment between tumor cells and normal cells have facilitated the feasibility of highly specific and efficient drug delivery at tumor sites. This study is based on the elevated levels of glutathione (GSH) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1 enzyme) in the tumor cells, leading to the development of a novel dual-responsive triblock polyurethane (PEG-PTU-SS-PEG) with heightened sensitivity to stimuli. This biodegradable amphiphilic polyurethane contains disulfide bonds responsive to GSH on the main chain and trimethyl locked benzoquinone structures responsive to NQO1 enzyme on the side chains. The polyurethane forms stable micelles through self-assembly and efficiently encapsulates the hydrophobic drug doxorubicin (DOX). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicate that both blank and drug-loaded micelles can be effectively disrupted upon addition of GSH or Na2S2O4 (simulating the NQO1 enzyme environment in vitro). Furthermore, the in vitro drug release behavior of drug-loaded micelles, cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity experiments demonstrate that in the presence of GSH and NQO1 enzyme, polyurethane nanomicelles can achieve specific and efficient drug release, enhance cytotoxicity against tumor cells, and maintain excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, this newly developed polyurethane nanodrug delivery system has tremendous potential in tumor therapy, offering specific drug release and efficient treatment.
研究领域:
药物递送
·
生物材料
·
肿瘤学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
BIOMACROMOLECULES
·
2023
·
IF 6.2
Dongdong Wang,Mu Li,Hanning Zhang,Congshu Feng,Lili Wu,Lesan Yan
Stimuli-responsive polymer nanocarriers, capable of exploiting subtle changes in the tumor microenvironment for controlled drug release, have gained significant attention in cancer therapy. Notably, NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), found to be upregulated in various solid tumors, represents a promising therapeutic target due to its effective capability to enzymatically reduce trimethyl-locked (TML) benzoquinone structures in a physiological condition. In this study, a novel redox-sensitive carbonate monomer, MTC, was synthesized, and its amphiphilic block copolymers were prepared through ring-opening polymerization. By successfully self-assembling poly(ethylene glycol)-b-PMTC micelles, the model drug doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated with high efficiency. The micelles exhibited redox-responsive behavior, leading to rapid drug release. In vitro assessments confirmed their excellent biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Furthermore, the inhibition of the NQO1 enzyme reduced drug release in NQO1-overexpressed cells but not in control cells, resulting in decreased cytotoxicity in the presence of NQO1 enzyme inhibitors. Overall, this study showcases the potential of MTC-based polycarbonate micelles to achieve targeted and specific drug release in the NQO1 enzyme-mediated tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the self-assembly of MTC-based polymers into nanomicelles holds immense promise as intelligent nanocarriers in drug delivery applications.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
癌症治疗
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOMACROMOLECULES
·
2023
·
IF 6.2
Jinhai Xie,Shuangyu Tian,Hanning Zhang,Congshu Feng,Yingchao Han,Honglian Dai,Lesan Yan
The design of nano-drug delivery vehicles responsive to tumor microenvironment stimuli has become a crucial aspect in developing cancer therapy in recent years. Among them, the enzyme-responsive nano-drug delivery system is particularly effective, as it utilizes tumor-specific and highly expressed enzymes as precise targets, leading to increased drug release at the target sites, reduced nonspecific release, and improved efficacy while minimizing toxic side effects on normal tissues. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is an important reductase associated with cancer and is overexpressed in some cancer cells, particularly in lung and breast cancer. Thus, the design of nanocarriers with high selectivity and responsiveness to NQO1 is of great significance for tumor diagnosis and treatment. It has been reported that under physiological conditions, NQO1 can specifically reduce the trimethyl-locked benzoquinone structure through a two-electron reduction, resulting in rapid lactonization via an enzymatic reaction. Based on this, a novel reduction-sensitive polyurethane (PEG-PTU-PEG) block copolymer was designed and synthesized by copolymerizing diisocyanate, a reduction-sensitive monomer (TMBQ), and poly(ethylene glycol). The successful synthesis of monomers and polymers was verified by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Then, the PEG-PTU-PEG micelles were successfully prepared by self-assembly, and their reductive dissociation behavior in the presence of Na2S2O4 was verified by dynamic light scattering (DLS), 1H NMR, and GPC. Next, the model drug doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated into the hydrophobic core of this polyurethane micelles by microemulsion method. It was observed that the drug-loaded micelles could also achieve a redox response and rapidly release the encapsulated substances. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that PEG-PTU-PEG micelles had good biocompatibility and a low hemolysis rate (<5%). Furthermore, in the presence of an NQO1 enzyme inhibitor (dicoumarol), lower drug release from micelles was observed in A549 and 4T1 cells by both fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry assays, but not in NIH-3T3 control cells. Predictably, DOX-loaded micelles also showed lower cytotoxicity in 4T1 cells in the presence of NQO1 enzyme inhibitors. These results indicate that drug-loaded polyurethane micelles could accomplish specific drug release in the reducing environment in the presence of NQO1 enzymes. Therefore, this study provides a new option for the construction of polyurethane nanocarriers for precise targeting and reductive release, which could benefit the intracellular drug-specific release and precision therapy of tumors.
研究领域:
药剂学
·
肿瘤学
·
生物材料学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）