Antibody-targeted delivery of doxorubicin entrapped in sterically stabilized liposomes can eradicate lung cancer in mice.

Cancer chemotherapy is limited by adverse side effects resulting from toxicities to normal tissues. Targeted delivery of drugs to diseased tissues in vivo would help to reduce these side effects. Liposomes containing lipid derivatives of polyethylene glycol have circulation times sufficiently long to allow for effective in vivo drug delivery. Polyethylene glycol liposomes, containing entrapped doxorubicin, targeted to KLN-205 squamous cell carcinoma of the lung by means of specific antibodies attached at the liposome surface were capable of reducing tumor burden to a high degree and eradicating tumor in a significant percentage of mice.