Di Benedetto Giulia, Varvarà Paola, Drago Salvatore Emanuele, Cantone Anna Flavia, Mauro Nicolò, Gaudio Gabriella, Burgaletto Chiara, Bellanca Carlo Maria, Broggi Giuseppe, Caltabiano Rosario, Pitarresi Giovanna, Cantarella Giuseppina, Giammona Gaetano, Bernardini Renato
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Laboratory of Biocompatible Polymers, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
Int J Pharm. 2025 Jun 10;678:125729. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125729. Epub 2025 May 14.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, faces treatment challenges due to drug resistance and poor bioavailability, with sorafenib, a key therapy, characterized by rapid clearance and significant side effects. This paper describes the development of amphiphilic graft copolymers for efficient loading and delivery of sorafenib through controlled Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). The amphiphilic graft copolymer PHEA-g-IB-(pButMA)-g-PEG-Bt was synthesized to enhance tumor specificity via biotin-mediated targeting. The synthesis involved a three-step process, with successful functionalization confirmed through NMR and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analyses. Sorafenib-loaded nanoparticles, prepared via dialysis-based nanoprecipitation, exhibited a mean size of ∼ 300 nm, suitable for oral and parenteral administration, while drug release studies confirmed a sustained release profile, minimizing premature systemic loss and reducing the need for frequent administration. Evaluation of cytocompatibility and anticancer efficacy tested in vitro on HepG2 and HuH-7 cell lines revealed that biotinylated sorafenib-loaded nanoparticles had the highest ability to reduce cell viability. The enhanced anticancer effect of biotinylated NPs was validated in vivo using a murine tumor xenograft model, as evidenced by reduced tumor growth, lower Ki-67 proliferation index, and diminished CD31-positive vasculature. Protein expression analysis demonstrated that PBB-Bt@SOR elicited the strongest activation of p-p38 MAPK and caspase-8-mediated apoptosis, while enhancing the expression of the pro-survival AKT pathway. Overall, the study confirms that biotinylated sorafenib-loaded nanoparticles improve tumor suppression in HCC models, demonstrating their effectiveness in targeted drug delivery. These findings suggest biotin decorated polyamino aspartamide-based nanoparticles as a promising strategy to optimize chemotherapy regimens, minimizing systemic toxicity in HCC treatment.
肝细胞癌(HCC)是最常见的原发性肝癌,由于耐药性和生物利用度差而面临治疗挑战,索拉非尼作为一种关键疗法,具有清除迅速和副作用显著的特点。本文描述了通过可控原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)制备两亲性接枝共聚物以有效负载和递送索拉非尼的过程。合成了两亲性接枝共聚物PHEA-g-IB-(pButMA)-g-PEG-Bt,通过生物素介导的靶向作用增强肿瘤特异性。合成过程包括三步,通过核磁共振(NMR)和尺寸排阻色谱(SEC)分析确认了成功的功能化。通过基于透析的纳米沉淀法制备的载索拉非尼纳米颗粒的平均尺寸约为300nm,适合口服和肠胃外给药,而药物释放研究证实了其缓释特性,可将过早的全身损失降至最低,并减少频繁给药的必要性。在HepG2和HuH-7细胞系上进行的体外细胞相容性和抗癌疗效评估表明,载生物素化索拉非尼的纳米颗粒具有最高的降低细胞活力的能力。使用小鼠肿瘤异种移植模型在体内验证了生物素化纳米颗粒增强的抗癌效果,表现为肿瘤生长减少、Ki-67增殖指数降低以及CD31阳性脉管系统减少。蛋白质表达分析表明,PBB-Bt@SOR引发了最强的p-p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)激活和半胱天冬酶-8介导的凋亡,同时增强了促生存AKT途径的表达。总体而言,该研究证实载生物素化索拉非尼的纳米颗粒可改善HCC模型中的肿瘤抑制作用,证明了它们在靶向药物递送中的有效性。这些发现表明,生物素修饰的聚天冬酰胺基纳米颗粒是优化化疗方案、将HCC治疗中的全身毒性降至最低的一种有前景的策略。