Self-assembled dihydroartemisinin nanoparticles as a platform for cervical cancer chemotherapy.

Yun Lu, Qian Wen, Jia Luo, Kang Xiong, ZhouXue Wu, BiQiong Wang, Yue Chen, Bo Yang, ShaoZhi Fu

Drug delivery 2020 Dec

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Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is a potent anti-cancer drug that has limited clinical applications due to poor water solubility and low bioavailability. We designed a biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MPEG-PCL) micelle carrier for DHA using the self-assembly method. The DHA/MPEG-PCL nanoparticles were spherical with an average particle size of 30.28 ± 0.27 nm, and released the drug in a sustained manner in aqueous solution. The drug-loaded nanoparticles showed dose-dependent toxicity in HeLa cells by inducing cycle arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, compared to free DHA, the DHA/MPEG-PCL nanoparticles showed higher therapeutic efficacy and lower toxicity in vivo, and significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing nude mice. In addition, the tumor tissues of the DHA/MPEG-PCL-treated mice showed a marked decline in the in situ expression of proliferation and angiogenesis markers. Taken together, the self-assembled DHA/MPEG-PCL nanoparticles are a highly promising delivery system for targeted cancer treatment.

Citation

Yun Lu, Qian Wen, Jia Luo, Kang Xiong, ZhouXue Wu, BiQiong Wang, Yue Chen, Bo Yang, ShaoZhi Fu. Self-assembled dihydroartemisinin nanoparticles as a platform for cervical cancer chemotherapy. Drug delivery. 2020 Dec;27(1):876-887