5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in cancer therapy, either alone or in combination with other anti-cancer drugs. However, poor membrane permeability and a short half-life (5-20 min) due to rapid metabolism in the body necessitate the continuous administration of high doses of 5-FU to maintain the minimum therapeutic serum concentration. This is associated with significant side effects and a possibility of severe toxic effects. This study aimed to formulate 5-FU-loaded pHsensitive liposomal nanoparticles (pHLNps-5-FU) and evaluate 5-FU release characteristics and anti-cancer effect of pHLNps-5-FU. Particle size and zeta potential were determined using a particle size analyzer. The release patterns of pHLNps-5-FU formulations were evaluated at 37°C at pH 3, 5, 6.5, and 7.4, while drug release kinetics of 5-FU from a pHLNp 3-5-FU formulation were determined at pH 3 and 7.4 at different time points (37°C). Cell viability and clonogenic studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of pHLNps-5-FU against HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines while cellular uptake of rhodamine-labeled pHLNps-5-FU was determined by flow cytometry and confocal imaging. The average sizes of the pHLNp 1-5-FU, pHLNp 2-5-FU and pHLNp 3-5-FU liposomes were 200nm ± 9.8nm, 181.9 nm ± 9.1 nm, and 164.3 nm ± 8.4 nm respectively. In vitro drug release of 5-FU from different pHLNps-5-FU formulations was the highest at pH 3.8. Both cell lines treated with pHLNps-5-FU exhibited reduced viability, two-or three-fold lower than that of 5-FU-treated cells. Flow cytometry and confocal imaging confirmed high uptake of rhodamine-labeled pHLNps-5-FU in both cell lines. The drug release profile of the chosen pHLNp 3 -5-FU formulation was optimal at pH 3 and had the poorest release profile at pH 7.4. The release profile of pHLNp 3 -5-FU showed that 5-FU release was two-fold higher at pH 3 than that at pH 7.4. This study demonstrates that pHLNp3-5-FU may be a potential candidate for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

In numerous studies, liposomes have been used to deliver anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin to local heat-triggered tumor. Here, we investigate: (i) the ability of thermosensitive liposomal nanoparticle (TSLnp) as a delivery system to deliver poorly membrane-permeable anticancer drug, gemcitabine (Gem) to solid pancreatic tumor with the aid of local mild hyperthermia and, (ii) the possibility of using gadolinium (Magnevist®) loaded-TSLnps (Gd-TSLnps) to increase magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast in solid tumor. In this study, we developed and tested gemcitabine-loaded thermosensitive liposomal nanoparticles (Gem-TSLnps) and gadolinium-loaded thermosensitive liposomal nanoparticles (Gd-TSLnps) both in in-vitro and in-vivo. The TSLnps exhibited temperature-dependent release of Gem, at 40–42°C, 65% of Gem was released within 10 min, whereas < 23% Gem leakage occurred at 37°C after a period of 2 h. The pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue distribution of both Gem-TSLnps and Gd-TSLnps were significantly greater compared with free Gem and Gd, while Gem-TSLnps plasma clearance was reduced by 17-fold and that of Gd-TSLpns was decreased by 2-fold. Area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) of Gem-TSLnps (35.17± 0.04 μghr/mL) was significantly higher than that of free Gem (2.09 ± 0.01 μghr/mL) whereas, AUC of Gd-TSLnps was higher than free Gd by 3.9 fold high. TSLnps showed significant Gem accumulation in heated tumor relative to free Gem. Similar trend of increased Gd-TSLnps accumulation was observed in non-heated tumor compared to that of free Gd; however, no significant difference in MRI contrast enhancement between free Gd and Gd-TSLnps ex-vivo tumor images was observed. Despite Gem-TSLnps dose being half of free Gem dose, antitumor efficacy of Gem-TSLnps was comparable to that of free Gem(Gem-TSLnps 10 mg Gem/kg compared with free Gem 20 mg/kg). Overall, the findings suggest that TSLnps may be used to improve Gem delivery and enhance its antitumor activity. However, the formulation of Gd-TSLnp needs to be fully optimized to significantly enhance MRI contrast in tumor.

Current strategies to prevent restenosis following endovascular treatment include the local delivery of anti-proliferative agents to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration. These agents, not specific to VSMCs, are deposited on the luminal surface and therefore target endothelial cells and delay vascular healing. Cell-targeted therapies, (e.g., RNA aptamers), can potentially overcome these safety concerns by specifically binding to VSMC and inhibiting proliferation and migration. The purpose of this study was to therefore demonstrate the ability of a perfusion catheter to deliver cell-specific RNA aptamer inhibitors directly to the vessel wall. RNA aptamers specific to VSMCs were developed using an in vitro cell-based systematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment selection process. Two aptamers (Apt01 and Apt14) were evaluated ex vivo using harvested pig arteries in a pulsatile flow bioreactor. Local drug delivery of the aptamers into the medial wall was accomplished using a novel perfusion catheter. We demonstrated the feasibility to deliver aptamer-based drugs directly to the medial layer of an artery using a perfusion catheter. Such cell-specific targeted therapeutic drugs provide a potentially safer and more effective treatment option for patients with vascular disease.

Current therapies for advanced-stage prostate cancer have shown limited efficacy due to the molecular complexity of this aggressive disease and the unwanted side effects that result from the treatments themselves. Chemotherapeutic drug cocktails are currently the preferred treatment option to inhibit multiple targets simultaneously, thereby reducing drug-resistance in advanced-stage disease. However, owing to the non-selective nature of these drugs, targeted approaches that eliminate toxicity to non-target tissues and reduce the amount of drug that needs to be administered to the patient are warranted. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a transmembrane receptor expressed on malignant prostate cancer cells, has been identified as a promising therapeutic target for targeted therapy of prostate cancer. PSMA-targeted agents have included small molecules, antibodies, and nucleic acid aptamers. This review focuses on oligonucleotide-based ligands (DNA and RNA aptamers) that target PSMA and their use in imaging and therapeutic applications for prostate cancer. This review covers important concepts pertaining to the clinical translation of PSMA aptamers (safety, stability, and pharmacokinetics) and highlight existing hurdles and future prospects.