Long-Circulating and Targeted Liposomes Co-loading Cisplatin and Mifamurtide: Formulation and Delivery in Osteosarcoma Cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common primary bone sarcoma with high malignant degree and poor prognosis, for which there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Recent research has revealed that mifamurtide significantly improved the outcome of OS patients when combined with adjuvant chemotherapy drugs including cisplatin (DDP). The present study aimed to construct a drug delivery system co-loading DDP and mifamurtide. Long-circulating targeted liposomes co-loading DDP and mifamurtide were constructed with Soy lecithin (SPC), cholesterol (Chol) and 1,2-distearoylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-n-[poly(ethyleneglycol)] (DSPE-PEG), modified with MMP14 targeting peptide BCY-B in the surface of liposomes. In addition to characterization, the cellular uptake, endocytosis pathway and inhibition on cell viability, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis of MG-63 cells were explored. The constructed liposomal delivery possessed the basic characteristics of liposomes and showed high affinity to MG-63 cells, resulting in high uptake efficiency in MG-63 cells. The endocytosis might be involved in multiple pathways including caveolae-mediated endocytosis, clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis, dependently on energy. The constructed long-circulating targeted liposomes co-loading DDP and mifamurtide significantly inhibited the cell viability, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis of MG-63 cells, improving the antitumor effect of DDP and mifamurtide in vitro . The constructed liposomal delivery system is suitable for co-loading DDP and mifamurtide to achieve active tumor targeting, supplying a new strategy for the treatment of OS. Graphical Abstract