Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
Volume 19, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061615
Keywords
liposome; anticancer therapy; pH-sensitivity; polymer
Funding
- Yen Tjing Ling Medical Foundation [CI-103-9]
- Ministry Science and Technology (MOST) of the Republic of China, Taiwan [MOST 106-2320-B-039-001, MOST 106-2221-E-010-018-MY3]
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pH-sensitive polymer-liposomes can rapidly release their payloads. However, it is difficult to simultaneously achieve stability and pH-responsiveness in the polymer-liposomes. In this study, stable and pH-sensitive crosslinked polymer-liposomes were fabricated through electrostatic interactions. The pH-sensitive copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(methacrylic acid)-cholesterol (mPEG-b-P(MAAc)-chol) and crosslinking reagent poly(ethylene glycol) with end-capped with lysine (PEG-Lys2) were synthesized and characterized. At physiological conditions, the pH-sensitive copolymers were anionic and interacted electrostatically with the cationic crosslinker PEG-Lys2, forming the electrostatically-crosslinked polymer-liposomes and stabilizing the liposomal structure. At pH 5.0, the carboxylic groups in mPEG-b-P(MAAc)-chol were neutralized, and the liposomal structure was destroyed. The particle size of the crosslinked polymer-liposomes was approximately 140 nm and the polymer-liposomes were loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin. At pH 7.4, the crosslinked polymer-liposomes exhibited good stability with steady particle size and low drug leakage, even in the presence of fetal bovine serum. At pH 5.0, the architecture of the crosslinked polymer-liposomes was damaged following rapid drug release, as observed by using transmission electron microscopy and their apparent size variation. The crosslinked polymer-liposomes were pH-sensitive within the endosome and in the human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231, as determined by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The intracellular drug release profiles indicated cytotoxicity in cancer cells. These results indicated that the highly-stable and pH-sensitive electrostatically-crosslinked polymer-liposomes offered a potent drug-delivery system for use in anticancer therapies.
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