A self-assembling prodrug nanosystem to enhance metabolic stability and anticancer activity of gemcitabine

Self-assembly is a powerful approach in molecular engineering for biomedical applications,in particu-lar for creating self-assembling prodrugs.Here,we report a self-assembling prodrug of the anticancer drug gemcitabine(Gem)based on amphiphilic dendrimer approach.The prodrug reported in this study demonstrates high drug loading(40%)and robust ability to self-assemble into small nanomicelles,which increase the metabolic stability of Gem and enable entry into cells via endocytosis,hence bypassing transport-mediated uptake.In addition,this prodrug nanosystem exhibited an effective pH-and enzyme-responsive release of Gem,resulting in enhanced anticancer activity and reduced toxicity.Harboring ad-vantageous features of both prodrug-and nanotechnology-based drug delivery,this self-assembling Gem prodrug nanosystem constitutes a promising anticancer candidate.This study also offers new perspectives of the amphiphilic dendrimer nanoplatforms for the development of self-assembling prodrugs.