pH-triggered morphological change in a self-assembling amphiphilic peptide used as an antitumor drug carrier

The geometry of nanoparticles plays an important role in the process of drug encapsulation and release. In this study, an acid-responsive amphiphilic polypeptide consisting of lysine and leucine was prepared. In neutral media, the amphiphilic peptide L6K4 self-assembled to form spherical nanoparticles and encapsulated fat-soluble antitumor drugs. The intratumoral accumulation of the drug-loaded nanoparticles was improved in HeLa cells compared with normal cells. Compared to a neutral environment, increasingly acidic solutions changed the secondary structure of the peptide. In addition, the drug-loaded nanoparticles expanded and decomposed, rapidly releasing the poorly soluble antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX). In addition, the amphiphilic peptide L6K4 had antitumor properties, and the antitumor performance of the combination of L6K4 and DOX was better than that of free DOX. Our results indicate that the use of acid responsiveness to induce geometric changes in drug-loaded peptide nanoparticles could be a promising strategy for antitumor drug delivery.