Prevention of metastasis in a 4T1 murine breast cancer model by doxorubicin carried by folate conjugated pH sensitive polymeric micelles.

This study primarily focused on the anti-metastatic activity of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded in a pH-sensitive mixed polymeric micelle formed from two block polymers: poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) (Mn 3000)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Mn 2000)-folate and poly(L-histidine) (PHis) (Mn 4700)-b-PEG (Mn 2000). Tumor formation and metastasis in mice were examined using a murine mammary carcinoma cell of 4T1 which is one of the most aggressive metastatic cancer cell lines. The efficacy was evaluated by tumor size, body weight change, survival rate, dorsal skin fold window chamber model, and histological observation of the lung, heart, liver and spleen after treatment with various DOX formulations. When the tumor reached 50-100 mm³ in size, the mice were treated 4 times at a 3-day interval at a dose of 10 mg DOX/kg. The mixed micelle formulation resulted in retarded tumor growth, no weight loss, and no death for 4-5 weeks. In another set of the in vivo test for histological evaluation of the organs, the mice were similarly treated but the formulations were injected one day after 4T1 cell inoculation. The treatment by DOX loaded mixed micelle showed no apparent metastasis till 28 days. However, significant metastasis to the lung and heart was observed on Day 28 when the mice were treated with DOX carried by PBS, PLLA-b-PEG micelle and PHis-b-PEG micelle.