Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) micelles for combination drug delivery: evaluation of paclitaxel, cyclopamine and gossypol in intraperitoneal xenograft models of ovarian cancer.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, characterized by a high rate of chemoresistance. Current treatment strategies for ovarian cancer focus on novel drug combinations of cytotoxic agents and molecular targeted agents or novel drug delivery strategies that often involve intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) micelles were loaded with paclitaxel (cytotoxic agent), cyclopamine (hedgehog inhibitor), and gossypol (Bcl-2 inhibitor). After physicochemical studies focusing on combination drug solubilization, 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles were evaluated in vitro in 2-D and 3-D cell culture and in vivo in xenograft models of ovarian cancer, tracking bioluminescence signals from ES-2 and SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cell lines after IP injection. 3-Drug PEG-b-PCL micelles were not significantly more potent in 2-D cell culture in comparison to paclitaxel; however, they disaggregated ES-2 tumor spheroids, whereas single drugs or 2-drug combinations only slowed growth of ES-2 tumor spheroids or had no noticeable effects. In ES-2 and SKOV3 xenograft models, 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles had significantly less tumor burden than paclitaxel based on bioluminescence imaging, 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) PET imaging, and overall survival. (18)F-FLT-PET images clearly showed that 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles dramatically reduce tumor volumes over paclitaxel and vehicle controls. In summary, PEG-b-PCL micelles enable the IP combination drug delivery of paclitaxel, cyclopamine and gossypol, resulting in tumor growth inhibition and prolonged survival over paclitaxel alone. These results validate a novel treatment strategy for ovarian cancer based on drug combinations of cytotoxic agents and molecular targeted agents, delivered concurrently by a nanoscale drug delivery system, e.g. PEG-b-PCL micelles.

• Authors: Hyunah Cho, Tsz Chung Lai, Glen S Kwon
• Journal: Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society (J Control Release) Vol. 166 Issue 1 Pg. 1-9 (Feb 28 2013) ISSN: 1873-4995 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 23246471 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Drug Carriers
• Lactones
• Micelles
• Veratrum Alkaloids
• poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
• Polyethylene Glycols
• Gossypol
• Paclitaxel
• cyclopamine

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (administration & dosage, chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Drug Carriers (chemistry)
• Female
• Gossypol (administration & dosage, chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Lactones (chemistry)
• Mice
• Mice, Nude
• Micelles
• Ovarian Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Paclitaxel (administration & dosage, chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Polyethylene Glycols (chemistry)
• Solubility
• Surface Properties
• Treatment Outcome
• Veratrum Alkaloids (administration & dosage, chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays