pH-sensitive micelles self-assembled from star-shaped TPGS copolymers with ortho ester linkages for enhanced MDR reversal and chemotherapy

TPGS approved by FDA can be used as a P-gp inhibitor to effectively reverse multi-drug resistance(MDR)and as an anticancer agent for synergistic antitumor effects.However,the comparatively high critical micelle concentration(CMC),low drug loading(DL)and poor tumor target limit its further clinical application.To overcome these drawbacks,the pH-sensitive star-shaped TPGS copolymers were successfully constructed via using pentaerythritol as the initial materials,ortho esters as the pH-triggered linkages and TPGS active-ester as the terminated MDR material.The amphiphilic star-shaped TPGS copolymers could self-assemble into free and doxorubicin(DOX)-loaded micelles at neutral aqueous solutions.The micelles exhibited the lower CMC(8.2×10^(−5) mg/ml),higher DL(10.8%)and long-term storage and circulation stability,and showed enhanced cellular uptake,apoptosis,cytotoxicity,and growth inhibition for in vitro MCF-7/ADR and/or MCF-7/ADR multicellular spheroids and in vivo MCF-7/ADR tumors via efficiently targeted drug release at tumoral intracellular pH(5.0),MDR reversal of TPGS,and synergistic effect of DOX and TPGS.Therefore,the pH-sensitive micelles self-assembled from star-shaped TPGS copolymers with ortho ester linkages are potentially useful to clinically transform for enhanced MDR cancer treatment.