{"title":"Nanotechnology Platform for the Delivery of Docetaxel and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Therapy.","authors":"Bharathi Mandala, Yvonne Berko, Gantamur Battogtok, Funmilola Fisusi, Haijun Gao, Emmanuel O Akala","doi":"10.2174/0122117385373466250219070753","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>HER2-positive breast cancer is an aggressive subtype characterized by the overexpression of the HER2 receptor, a transmembrane glycoprotein critical for tumor progression. Current therapies often face challenges like drug resistance and systemic toxicity, necessitating the development of advanced drug delivery systems.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to fabricate and determine the cytotoxicity of pH-sensitive PLA nanoparticles dual-loaded with docetaxel and each of the small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (STKIs) (tucatinib, neratinib, lapatinib) in HER2-positive breast cancer cells.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Nanoparticles were synthesized by a dispersion polymerization method using an acidlabile crosslinking agent, and PEG and lactide macromonomers. They were characterized for structure (TEM), surface morphology (SEM), particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and drug loading capacity. Cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro on SKBR3 and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines, with IC50 values compared across formulations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The nanoparticles were spherical with nanoscale sizes and negative zeta potential values. In vitro studies demonstrated enhanced antiproliferative effects of the drug-loaded nanoparticles, with synergistic activity observed between docetaxel and the STKIs. The drug concentrations were halved in combination formulations and resulted in better cytotoxicity compared to single-drug treatments, particularly against SKBR3 cells. The IC50 values were lower in SKBR3 cells than in MCF7 cells, highlighting the role of HER2 expression in the activity of TKIs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The pH-sensitive PLA nanoparticles effectively co-delivered docetaxel and STKIs and demonstrated enhanced efficacy and reduced drug dosages in HER2-positive breast cancer models. This study provides a foundation for further exploration of nanoparticle-based combination therapies with potential applications in treating other aggressive cancer types.</p>","PeriodicalId":19774,"journal":{"name":"Pharmaceutical nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pharmaceutical nanotechnology","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0122117385373466250219070753","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: HER2-positive breast cancer is an aggressive subtype characterized by the overexpression of the HER2 receptor, a transmembrane glycoprotein critical for tumor progression. Current therapies often face challenges like drug resistance and systemic toxicity, necessitating the development of advanced drug delivery systems.
Objective: This study aimed to fabricate and determine the cytotoxicity of pH-sensitive PLA nanoparticles dual-loaded with docetaxel and each of the small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (STKIs) (tucatinib, neratinib, lapatinib) in HER2-positive breast cancer cells.
Method: Nanoparticles were synthesized by a dispersion polymerization method using an acidlabile crosslinking agent, and PEG and lactide macromonomers. They were characterized for structure (TEM), surface morphology (SEM), particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and drug loading capacity. Cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro on SKBR3 and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines, with IC50 values compared across formulations.
Results: The nanoparticles were spherical with nanoscale sizes and negative zeta potential values. In vitro studies demonstrated enhanced antiproliferative effects of the drug-loaded nanoparticles, with synergistic activity observed between docetaxel and the STKIs. The drug concentrations were halved in combination formulations and resulted in better cytotoxicity compared to single-drug treatments, particularly against SKBR3 cells. The IC50 values were lower in SKBR3 cells than in MCF7 cells, highlighting the role of HER2 expression in the activity of TKIs.
Conclusion: The pH-sensitive PLA nanoparticles effectively co-delivered docetaxel and STKIs and demonstrated enhanced efficacy and reduced drug dosages in HER2-positive breast cancer models. This study provides a foundation for further exploration of nanoparticle-based combination therapies with potential applications in treating other aggressive cancer types.
期刊介绍:
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology publishes original manuscripts, full-length/mini reviews, thematic issues, rapid technical notes and commentaries that provide insights into the synthesis, characterisation and pharmaceutical (or diagnostic) application of materials at the nanoscale. The nanoscale is defined as a size range of below 1 µm. Scientific findings related to micro and macro systems with functionality residing within features defined at the nanoscale are also within the scope of the journal. Manuscripts detailing the synthesis, exhaustive characterisation, biological evaluation, clinical testing and/ or toxicological assessment of nanomaterials are of particular interest to the journal’s readership. Articles should be self contained, centred around a well founded hypothesis and should aim to showcase the pharmaceutical/ diagnostic implications of the nanotechnology approach. Manuscripts should aim, wherever possible, to demonstrate the in vivo impact of any nanotechnological intervention. As reducing a material to the nanoscale is capable of fundamentally altering the material’s properties, the journal’s readership is particularly interested in new characterisation techniques and the advanced properties that originate from this size reduction. Both bottom up and top down approaches to the realisation of nanomaterials lie within the scope of the journal.