Application of Paclitaxel-loaded EGFR Peptide-conjugated Magnetic Polymeric Liposomes for Liver Cancer Therapy

Developing the methodologies that allow for safe and effective delivery of therapeutic drugs to target sites is a very important research area in cancer therapy.In this study,polyethylene glycol(PEG)-coated magnetic polymeric liposome(MPL)nanoparticles(NPs)assembled from octadecyl quatemized carboxymethyl chitosan(OQC),PEGylated OQC,cholesterol,and magnetic NPs,and functionalized with epithelial growth factor receptor(EGFR)peptide,were successfully prepared for in-vivo liver targeting.The two-step liver targeting strategy,based on both magnetic force and EGFR peptide conjugation,was evaluated in a subcutaneous hepatocellular carcinoma model of nude mouse.The results showed that EGFR-conjugated MPLs not only accumulated in the liver by magnetic force,but could also diffuse into tumor cells as a result of EGFR targeting.In addition,paclitaxel(PTX)was incorporated into small EGFR-conjugated MPLs(102.0土0.7 nm),resulting in spherical particles with high drug encapsulation efficiency(>90%).The use of the magnetic targeting for enhancing the transport of PTX-loaded EGFR-conjugated MPLs to the tumor site was further confirmed by detecting PTX levels.In conclusion,PTX-loaded EGFR-conjugated MPLs could potentially be used as an effective drug delivery system for targeted liver cancer therapy.