A Novel Multifunctional Drug Delivery System for Chemo-Gene Combination Therapy
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed novel polymeric carriers composed of PEG hydrophilic segments and cationic moieties. These polymers have the ability to form micelles, which can effectively load hydrophobic drugs while simultaneously forming complexes with nucleic acids. When co-loaded with a drug and plasmid DNA, these micelles are observed to be significantly smaller and more stable than particles loaded with the drug alone. In this system, the multivalent charge–charge interactions between the cationic polymer and plasmid DNA serve as a simple approach to cross-link the micelles, thus making these micelles more stable than free micelles or micelles loaded with small molecule alone.
Description
Increasing evidence shows that the combination of therapeutic genes along with drugs can synergistically induce the apoptosis of cancer cells. However, the simultaneous delivery of small molecule drugs and genes into targeted cells has proved a significant challenge due to the differences in physicochemical properties of the two types of agents. There is an urgent need to develop a specific delivery system capable of co-delivering chemotherapeutic drugs and genes simultaneously with high efficiency for cancer therapy.Applications
• Co-treatment of cancer via both chemical and genetic therapeuticsAdvantages
• Ability to deliver therapeutic drugs simultaneously with drugs• Produces a synergistic relationship to amplify effects
• Smaller and more stable than micelles loaded with drug alone