{"title":"Enhanced targeted liposomal delivery of imiquimod via aptamer functionalization for head and neck cancer therapy","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114121","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The incidence of head and neck cancers, particularly those associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, has been steadily increasing. Conventional therapies exhibit limitations and drawbacks, prompting the exploration of new strategies over the years, with nanomedicine approaches, especially liposomes gaining relevance. Additionally, the functionalization of liposomes with aptamers enables selective delivery to target cells. For instance, AT11 can serve as a targeting moiety for cancer cells due to its high affinity for nucleolin, a protein overexpressed on the cancer cell’s surface. In this study, liposomes functionalized with AT11 are proposed as drug delivery systems for imiquimod (IQ), aiming to maximize its potential as an anticancer agent for HPV-related cancers.</p><p>To this end, firstly liposomes were produced through the ethanol injection method, functionalized with AT11-TEG-Cholesteryl, and characterized using dynamic light scattering. The obtained liposomes presented suitable properties for cancer therapy (with sizes from 120 to 140 nm and low polydispersity PDI < 0.16) and were further evaluated in terms of potential anticancer effects. AT11 IQ-associated liposomes allowed a selective delivery of IQ towards a tongue cancer cell line (UPCI-SCC-154) relative to the non-malignant cell line (Het1A). Specifically, they induced a selective reduction of the cell viability (∼52 % versus ∼113 %; p < 0.0001), proliferation (∼68 % versus ∼102 %; p<0.0001) and increased cell death (∼7-fold increase; p < 0.0001)). Additionally, they decreased the migration (from ∼24 % to ∼8 %; p < 0.0001) and invasion (to 11 %; p = 0.0047) capacities of the cancer cells.</p><p>In summary, the produced liposomes represent a promising approach to enhance the anticancer potential of IQ in head and neck cancer, particularly in tongue cancer.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":279,"journal":{"name":"Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927776524003801/pdfft?md5=f8a6ef7519ba30986d7d4d260b69ad7f&pid=1-s2.0-S0927776524003801-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces","FirstCategoryId":"1","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927776524003801","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The incidence of head and neck cancers, particularly those associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, has been steadily increasing. Conventional therapies exhibit limitations and drawbacks, prompting the exploration of new strategies over the years, with nanomedicine approaches, especially liposomes gaining relevance. Additionally, the functionalization of liposomes with aptamers enables selective delivery to target cells. For instance, AT11 can serve as a targeting moiety for cancer cells due to its high affinity for nucleolin, a protein overexpressed on the cancer cell’s surface. In this study, liposomes functionalized with AT11 are proposed as drug delivery systems for imiquimod (IQ), aiming to maximize its potential as an anticancer agent for HPV-related cancers.
To this end, firstly liposomes were produced through the ethanol injection method, functionalized with AT11-TEG-Cholesteryl, and characterized using dynamic light scattering. The obtained liposomes presented suitable properties for cancer therapy (with sizes from 120 to 140 nm and low polydispersity PDI < 0.16) and were further evaluated in terms of potential anticancer effects. AT11 IQ-associated liposomes allowed a selective delivery of IQ towards a tongue cancer cell line (UPCI-SCC-154) relative to the non-malignant cell line (Het1A). Specifically, they induced a selective reduction of the cell viability (∼52 % versus ∼113 %; p < 0.0001), proliferation (∼68 % versus ∼102 %; p<0.0001) and increased cell death (∼7-fold increase; p < 0.0001)). Additionally, they decreased the migration (from ∼24 % to ∼8 %; p < 0.0001) and invasion (to 11 %; p = 0.0047) capacities of the cancer cells.
In summary, the produced liposomes represent a promising approach to enhance the anticancer potential of IQ in head and neck cancer, particularly in tongue cancer.
期刊介绍:
Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces is an international journal devoted to fundamental and applied research on colloid and interfacial phenomena in relation to systems of biological origin, having particular relevance to the medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food and cosmetic fields.
Submissions that: (1) deal solely with biological phenomena and do not describe the physico-chemical or colloid-chemical background and/or mechanism of the phenomena, and (2) deal solely with colloid/interfacial phenomena and do not have appropriate biological content or relevance, are outside the scope of the journal and will not be considered for publication.
The journal publishes regular research papers, reviews, short communications and invited perspective articles, called BioInterface Perspectives. The BioInterface Perspective provide researchers the opportunity to review their own work, as well as provide insight into the work of others that inspired and influenced the author. Regular articles should have a maximum total length of 6,000 words. In addition, a (combined) maximum of 8 normal-sized figures and/or tables is allowed (so for instance 3 tables and 5 figures). For multiple-panel figures each set of two panels equates to one figure. Short communications should not exceed half of the above. It is required to give on the article cover page a short statistical summary of the article listing the total number of words and tables/figures.