Journal
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
Volume 13, Issue 47, Pages 55790-55805Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c14592
Keywords
nanoparticle; drug delivery; elastin-like recombinamer; Akt; pancreatic cancer
Funding
- Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK) project grant
- European Social Fund (ESF)
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- MICIUN [MAT2016-79435-R, DTS19/00162, PID2019-106386RB-I00]
- University of Valladolid
- Erasmus+ program of the European Union
- National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre
- Ramon Areces Foundation
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In this study, self-assembling genetically engineered polymeric nanoparticles formed by ELRs successfully inhibited the metabolic activity and cell viability of pancreatic cancer cells by blocking Akt protein phosphorylation and triggering apoptosis. These nanoparticles showed long circulating time and minimum toxicity in vivo, demonstrating potential for application in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers partly due to late diagnosis, poor drug delivery to the target site, and acquired resistance to therapy. Therefore, more effective therapies are urgently needed to improve the outcome of patients. In this work, we have tested self-assembling genetically engineered polymeric nanoparticles formed by elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs), carrying a small peptide inhibitor of the protein kinase Akt, in both PANC-1 and patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells (PDX models). Nanoparticle cell uptake was measured by flow cytometry, and subcellular localization was determined by confocal microscopy, which showed a lysosomal localization of these nanoparticles. Furthermore, metabolic activity and cell viability were significantly reduced after incubation with nanoparticles carrying the Akt inhibitor in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Self-assembling 73 +/- 3.2 nm size nanoparticles inhibited phosphorylation and consequent activation of Akt protein, blocked the NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and triggered caspase 3-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, in vivo assays showed that ELR-based nanoparticles were suitable devices for drug delivery purposes with long circulating time and minimum toxicity. Hence, the use of these smart nanoparticles could lead to the development of more effective treatment options for pancreatic cancer based on the inhibition of Akt.
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