Composite Polymeric Magnetic Nanoparticles for Co-Delivery of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Anticancer Drugs and MRI Imaging for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Exercising complementary roles of polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles for precise drug delivery and image contrast agents has attracted significant attention in biomedical applications. The objective of this study was to prepare and characterize magnetic nanoparticles embedded in polylactide-co-glycolide matrixes (PLGA-MNPs) as a dual drug delivery and imaging system capable of encapsulating both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. PLGA-MNPs were capable of encapsulating both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs in a 2:1 ratio. Biocompatibility, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, membrane potential, and apoptosis were carried out in two different cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and PANC-1). The molecular basis of induction of apoptosis was validated by Western blotting analysis. For targeted delivery of drugs, targeting ligand such as Herceptin was used, and such a conjugated system demonstrated enhanced cellular uptake and an augmented synergistic effect in an in vitro system when compared with native drugs. Magnetic resonance imaging was carried out both in vitro and in vivo to assess the efficacy of PLGA-MNPs as contrast agents. PLGA-MNPs showed a better contrast effect than commercial contrast agents due to higher T(2) relaxivity with a blood circulation half-life ∼ 47 min in the rat model. Thus, our results demonstrated the dual usable purpose of formulated PLGA-MNPs toward either, in therapeutics by delivering different hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs individually or in combination and imaging for cancer therapeutics in the near future.

Nanotheranostics – a review of recent publications

“…In a recent study carried out by Hu et al 14 the photothermal effect of AuNR was efficiently improved by a surrounding silver shell (AuNR-in-shell). The Chemotherapy X-ray imaging MR imaging [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] [27]…”

“…For instance, Singh el al 24 prepared and characterized magnetic NP-embedded polylactide-co-glycolide matrices (PLGA-MNPs) as a dual drug-delivery and imaging system capable of encapsulating both hydrophilic (carboplatin) and hydrophobic (paclitaxel and rapamycin) drugs. The formulated PLGA-MNP nanocarrier showed a better contrast effect than commercial contrast agents as a result of higher T2 relaxivity in connection to a blood circulation half-life of ∼47 minutes in the rat model, furnishing the possibility of codelivery of single or multiple drugs toward active targeting (by means of herceptin-HER2 immunoreaction) with an improved synergistic therapeutic index.…”

Application of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in the Therapeutic Evaluation of the Chinese Medicine Kanglaite in Treating Colorectal Cancer

“…Meanwhile, the determination of a drug's optimal duration of activity, concentration, therapeutic efficacy, and side effects during anti-tumor drug development as well as clinical trials requires effective real-time monitoring of tumor changes, which cannot be done with pathological examination alone (2,3). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide a reference for tumor diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and its quantitative parameters can serve as imaging indicators that reflect tumor angiogenesis and vascularity (4,5). In this study, DCE-MRI was used to investigate its application in evaluating the anti-colorectal cancer efficacy of KLT treatment.…”

Encapsulation of human serum albumin in submicrometer magnetic poly(lactide-co-glycolide) particles as a model system for targeted drug delivery

“…For instance, magnetic nanoparticle-embedded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) matrices were prepared as a dual drug-delivery and imaging system capable of encapsulating both hydrophilic (carboplatin) and hydrophobic (paclitaxel and rapamycin) drugs (Singh at al. [19]). Double emulsion combined with a solvent evaporation technique was often used for preparation of microspheres both in batch (Rosca et al [20]) and microfluidic arrangement (Lee et al [21]).…”