Targeting delivery of etoposide to inhibit the growth of human glioblastoma multiforme using lactoferrin- and folic acid-grafted poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles.

Lactoferrin (Lf) and folic acid (FA) were crosslinked on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for transporting etoposide across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and treating human brain malignant glioblastoma. Lf- and FA-grafted PLGA NPs (Lf/FA/PLGA NPs) were employed to permeate the monolayer of human brain-microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) regulated by human astrocytes and to inhibit the multiplication of U87MG cells. Lf/FA/PLGA NPs showed a satisfactory entrapment efficiency of etoposide and characteristics of sustained drug release. When compared with PLGA NPs, the permeability coefficient for etoposide across the BBB using Lf/FA/PLGA NPs increased about twofold. The antiproliferative efficacy against the growth of U87MG cells was in the following order: Lf/FA/PLGA NPs>FA/PLGA NPs>PLGA NPs>free etoposide solution. In addition, the targeting ability of Lf/FA/PLGA NPs was evidenced by immunostaining of Lf receptor on HBMECs and folate receptor on U87MG cells during endocytosis. Lf/FA/PLGA NPs with loaded etoposide can be a promising anticancer pharmacotherapy to enhance the delivery of etoposide to malignant brain tumors for preclinical trials.