Preparation of polyprenol/poly (β-amino ester)/galactose targeted micelle carrier for enhancing cancer therapy

Lacking of substantial physiological activity and low utilization remains a problem for most conventional drug carriers. Polyprenol with beneficial medical effects and high availability could be an ideal candidate for solving this issue. Here, Ginkgo biloba leaves polyprenol (GBP)-based derivative was prepared by Michael addition reaction of poly (β-amino esters) (PBAE) with GBP and galactose (Gal). The intervention of poly (β-amino ester) and galactose promoted GBP-PBAE-Gal to depict as micellar carrier, enhancing the loading of hydrophobic DOX and the sensitivity to the specific tumor microenvironment, with the largest DOX loading of 28.62 ± 1.49 % and the efficient DOX release rate of 90.30 %. In the meantime, GBP-PBAE-Gal exhibited enhanced colloidal stability at 640-folds of dilution and in the presence of serum and realized the possibility of long-term storage at room temperature. Additionally, GBP-PBAE-Gal was safe for human red blood cells and human normal liver cells HL-7702. When applied for DOX delivery to HepG2 cells, GBP-PBAE-Gal increased the targeting of DOX to intensify its inhibition on HepG2 cells. Compared to free DOX, the DOX loaded into GBP-PBAE-Gal presented stronger anticancer activity, with IC 50 of 0.56 μg/mL at 72 h. Besides, the anticancer mechanism study revealed that GBP-PBAE-Gal arrested the cell cycle in HepG2 cells, suggesting the potential of GBP-based carrier for intensive treatment. This research evidenced the feasibility and high availability of the GBP to use as a drug carrier, providing a novel candidate for drug delivery systems.