Hyaluronan-based theranostic nanomicelles for breast cancer-targeting and anticancer drug delivery

Integration of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities into a single nanoplatform can play an important role in personalized cancer therapy. In this work, an all-in-one theranostic nanoplatform (HPCT nanomicelles) for breast cancer was fabricated, composed of the synthetic polymer hyaluronan-b-poly(ecaprolactone) (HA-PCL), drug curcumin (Cur) and adjuvant tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS). HPCT nanomicelles presented adequate drug loading efficiency, excellent stability, and attractive hyaluronidase-sensitive release features. Imaging agent radionuclide 99mTc was loaded into HPCT nanomicelles (denoted as 99mTc-HPCT nanomicelles) and in vivo SPECT/CT imaging verified the HAbased nanomicelles could actively target breast cancer in mice. In vivo anti-tumor pharmacodynamic studies indicated that HPCT nanomicelles exhibited desirable anti-tumor efficacy with favorable biosafety. 99mTc-HPCT nanomicelles, integrating imaging and therapeutic modalities, have the promising potential to be an all-in-one theranostic nanoplatform for breast cancer.& COPY; 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Integration of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities into a single nanoplatform (HPCT nanomicelles) for breast cancer was achieved in this study. The nanomicelles comprised hyaluronan-b-poly(ecaprolactone) (HA-PCL), curcumin (Cur), and tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS). Efficient drug loading, stability, and hyaluronidase-sensitive release were observed in the HPCT nanomicelles. In vivo SPECT/CT imaging confirmed the active targeting ability of the HAbased nanomicelles to breast cancer, while pharmacodynamic studies showed desirable anti-tumor efficacy with good biosafety. The 99mTc-HPCT nanomicelles, integrating imaging and therapeutic modalities, have great potential as an all-in-one theranostic nanoplatform for breast cancer.