Photo-controlled release of paclitaxel and model drugs from RNA pyramids

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive release of drugs from a nanocarrier in spatial-, temporal-, and dosage-controlled fashions is of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Paclitaxel is one of the most effective and popular chemotherapeutic drugs against a number of cancers such as metastatic or nonmetastatic breast cancer, non–small cell lung cancer, refractory ovarian cancer, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, and head and neck cancers. Here, by taking the advantage of RNA nanotechnology in biomedical and material science, we developed a three-dimensional pyramid-shaped RNA nanocage for a photocontrolled release of cargo, using paclitaxel as a model drug. The light-triggered release of paclitaxel or fluorophore Cy5 was achieved by incorporation of photocleavable spacers into the RNA nanoparticles. Upon irradiation with ultraviolet light, cargos were rapidly released (within 5 min). In vitro treatment of breast cancer cells with the RNA nanoparticles harboring photocleavable paclitaxel showed higher cytotoxicity as compared to RNA nanoparticles without the photocleavable spacer. The methodology provides proof of concept for the application of the light-triggered controlled release of drugs from RNA nanocages.

High-order structures from nucleic acids for biomedical applications

“…169 These pyramids were functionalized with the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel via photocleavable spacers, and irradiation with ultraviolet light induced drug release and cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. 169 In a different example, Li et al reported the self-assembly of a nuclease-resistant, 2 0 -deoxyfluoro U/C modified RNA tetrahedron based on the phi29 pRNA 3WJ (Fig. 5G).…”

The Role of Photochemical Reactions in the Development of Advanced Soft Materials for Biomedical Applications

“…Similar approaches have been reported for PDT, wherein PDT is combined with chemotherapy using nanoparticles containing ROS sensitive linked drugs. The most commonly used ROS sensitive linker is the thioketal moiety, which in the presence of ROS can degrade releasing an attached drug to the cell environment . A more interesting approach is the example of micelles formed by an amphiphilic block polymer, composed of PEG and a selenium containing nylon derivative .…”

Preparation and Properties of Photo-responsive Controlled Release Pesticide Film

“…It presented a large number of gaps, obviously different from Figure I (a), (b) and (c), which providing a channel for the release of pesticides. [7][8][9][10] Figure IV gave the pesticide film releases pesticide under light control conditions. Multi-pulsatile pesticide release could be achieved by the photo-responsive controlled pesticide release film through UV and visible light irradiation, and approximately 45 % of the loaded acetamiprid was released.…”

“…Photo-responsive drug release systems are environment-friendly and efficient for drug delivery applications, which can initiate release of the encapsulated drug only at controllable rate, at needed time, and at the suitable site, and have been increasingly investigated, especially in medicine, for the treatment of cancer. [4][5][6][7] At present, few studies have been done on the photoresponsive controlled release of pesticides. Ding et al synthesized photoresponsive polymeric propesticide micelles based on photolabile o-nitrobenzyl group for a controlled release of the herbicide dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D).…”