Micelles from Poly(ethylene glycol)-Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine Conjugates (Peg-Pe) as Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers for Poorly Soluble Drug Camptothecin

Nanoparticulate drug carriers, polymeric micelles made from conjugates of polyethylene glycol and phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) have been successfully used for the solubilization of the poorly soluble anticancer drug camptothecin (CPT). CPT-loaded micelles had the size of ca. 15 rim, were stable upon storage, and firmly retained the incorporated drug. The cytotoxicity of CPT-loaded PEG-PE micelles in different cell culture models was significantly higher than that of the free drug. The CPT incorporated PEG-PE micelles may represent a novel development in the poorly soluble drug delivery systems.