Aptamer-Modified Erythrocyte Membrane-Coated pH-Sensitive Nanoparticles for c-Met-Targeted Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Biomimetic drug delivery systems, especially red blood cell (RBC) membrane-based nanoparticle drug delivery systems (RNP), have been extensively utilized in tumor drug delivery because of their excellent biocompatibility and prolonged circulation. In this study, we developed an active targeting pH-sensitive RNP loaded with DOX by decorating an aptamer SL1 on RBC membranes (SL1-RNP-DOX) for c-Met-targeted therapy of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). SL1 could specifically bind to c-Met, which is highly expressed in GBM U87MG cells and facilitate DOX delivery to GBM cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that U87MG cells had a higher uptake of SL1-RNP-DOX (3.25 folds) and a stronger pro-apoptosis effect than unmodified RNP-DOX. In vivo fluorescence imaging and tissue distribution further demonstrated the higher tumor distribution of SL1-RNP-DOX (2.17 folds) compared with RNP-DOX. As a result, SL1-RNP-DOX presented the best anti-GBM effect with a prolonged median survival time (23 days vs. 15.5 days) and the strongest tumor cell apoptosis in vivo among all groups. In conclusion, SL1-RNP-DOX exhibited a promising targeting delivery strategy for GBM therapy.

Automated summary

In this study, an active targeting pH-sensitive RBC membrane-based nanoparticle drug delivery system loaded with DOX was developed for c-Met-targeted therapy of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The system, decorated with aptamer SL1, demonstrated excellent anti-GBM effect by facilitating DOX delivery to GBM cells.