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// Wei Shi 1,2,* , Yanxue Yin 1,2,* , Yao Wang 3,* , Bo Zhang 1,2 , Pei Tan 1,2 , Ting Jiang 1,2 , Heng Mei 1,2 , Jun Deng 1,2 , Huafang Wang 1,2 , Tao Guo 1,2 , Zhiqing Pang 3 and Yu Hu 1,2 1 Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 2 Targeted Biotherapy Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, China 3 Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 4 Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Tao Guo, email: // Zhiqing Pang, email: // Yu Hu, email: // Keywords : EGFP-EGF1, tissue factor, TF-cascade-targeted drug delivery system, photodynamic therapy Received : July 18, 2016 Accepted : October 22, 2016 Published : October 26, 2016 Abstract Tumor requires tumor vasculature to supply oxygen and nutrients so as to support its continued growth, as well as provide a main route for metastatic spread. In this study, a TF-cascade-targeted strategy aiming to disrupt tumor blood vessels was developed by combination of TF-targeted HMME-loaded drug delivery system and PDT. PDT is a promising new modality in the treatment of cancers, which employs the interaction between a tumor-localizing photosensitizer and light of an appropriate wavelength to bring about ROS-induced cell death. In vitro results showed that protein EGFP-EGF1modification could significantly contribute to the uptake of nanoparticles by TF over-expressed BCECs. In vivo multispectral fluorescent imaging, the EGFP-EGF1 conjugated nanoparticles showed significantly higher accumulation in tumor tissues than non-conjugated ones. Tumor tissue slides further presented that EGFP-EGF1 conjugated nanoparticles showed significantly higher accumulation in tumor vasculature than non-conjugated ones. In vitro study demonstrated that PDT increased TF expression of BCECs. In vivo imaging, ex vivo imaging and tumor tissue slides showed that PDT further contribute EGFP-EGF1-NP accumulation in tumor. These promising results indicated that PDT enhanced EGFP-EGF1modified PEG-PLGA nanoparticle accumulation in tumor vaculature. Considering that EGFP-EGF1 conjugation enhanced nanoparticles uptake by TF over-expressed endothelium and PDT increased endothelium TF expression. We conclude that PDT triggered a TF cascade targeted effect. A combination of both EGFP-EGF1 modification and PDT provided a positive feed-back target effect to tumor vessels and might have a great potential for tumor therapy.

The unique tumour microenvironment (TM) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) including highly desmoplastic ECM and low tumour perfusion supports a considerable barrier for effective delivery of nanomedicines. Effectively modulating PDA microenvironment to enhance tumour drug delivery represents a pinpoint in the field of PDA treatment. In this study, it was the first time that biomimetic nanoparticles, which were designed in the form of erythrocyte membrane-camouflaged PLGA nanoparticles (MNP), were utilized for PDA microenvironment modulation. Cyclopamine (CYC), an inhibitor of Hedgehog pathway that contributed a lot to desmoplastic ECM of PDA, was selected as the model drug and successfully encapsulated into MNP. Advantages of CYC-loaded MNP (CMNP) included favourable biocompatibility, long circulation time, and powerful TM modulation effect. CMNP could effectively deliver CYC to the tumour site, disrupt tumour ECM, increase functional vessels, and improve tumour perfusion significantly. The combination treatment with CMNP and PTX-loaded MNP (PMNP) successfully improved PTX delivery to tumour, resulting in remarkable tumour growth inhibition in vivo. Therefore, biomimetic nanoparticles provide a new strategy for modulating PDA TM and will have great potential to improve the therapeutic effects of nanomedicines for PDA patients.

Fei Lu,1,2 Zhiyong Pang,2,3 Jingjing Zhao,2 Kai Jin,4 Haichun Li,2 Qiang Pang,2 Long Zhang,2 Zhiqing Pang2 1Department of Pharmacy, Xianju People’s Hospital, Xianju, Zhejiang, 2Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education and PLA, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 3Chongyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xianning, Hubei, 4School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The blood–brain barrier is a formidable obstacle for glioma chemotherapy due to its compact structure and drug efflux ability. In this study, a dual-targeting drug delivery system involving Angiopep-2-conjugated biodegradable polymersomes loaded with doxorubicin (Ang-PS-DOX) was developed to exploit transport by the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), which is overexpressed in both blood–brain barrier and glioma cells. The polymersomes (PS) were prepared using a thin-film hydration method. The PS were loaded with doxorubicin using the pH gradient method (Ang-PS-DOX). The resulting PS were uniformly spherical, with diameters of ~135 nm and with ~159.9 Angiopep-2 molecules on the surface of each PS. The drug-loading capacity and the encapsulation efficiency for doxorubicin were 7.94%±0.17% and 95.0%±1.6%, respectively. Permeability tests demonstrated that the proton diffusion coefficient across the PS membrane was far slower than that across the liposome membrane, and the common logarithm value was linearly dependent on the dioxane content in the external phase. Compared with PS-DOX, Ang-PS-DOX demonstrated significantly higher cellular uptake and stronger cytotoxicity in C6 cells. In vivo pharmacokinetics and brain distribution experiments revealed that Ang-PS-DOX achieved a more extensive distribution and more abundant accumulation in glioma cells than PS-DOX. Moreover, the survival time of glioma-bearing rats treated with Ang-PS-DOX was significantly prolonged compared with those treated with PS-DOX or a solution of free doxorubicin. These results suggested that Ang-PS-DOX can target glioma cells and enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy. Keywords: Angiopep-2, dual targeting, biodegradable polymersomes, doxorubicin, glioma treatment