From Stealthy Polymersomes and Filomicelles to “Self” Peptide-Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Polymersome vesicles and wormlike filomicelles self-assembled with amphiphilic, degradable block copolymers have recently shown promise in application to cancer therapy. In the case of filomicelles, dense, hydrophilic brushes of poly(ethylene glycol) on these nanoparticles combine with flexibility to nonspecifically delay clearance by phagocytes in vivo, which has motivated the development of “self” peptides that inhibit nanoparticle clearance through specific interactions. Delayed clearance, as well as robustness of polymer assemblies, opens the dosage window for delivery of increased drug loads in the polymer assemblies and increased tumor accumulation of drug(s). Antibody-targeting and combination therapies, such as with radiotherapy, are emerging in preclinical animal models of cancer. Such efforts are expected to combine with further advances in polymer composition, structure, and protein/peptide functionalization to further enhance transport through the circulation and permeation into disease sites.

The chemotherapeutic potential of doxorubicin-loaded PEG-b-PLGA nanopolymersomes in mouse breast cancer model

“…Among various kinds of polymer-based NPs, the polymersomes hold many advantages, including high stability, tuneable size and release pattern, high entrapment efficiency for hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs and desirable bio-distribution due to accumulation at the tumor site through the enhanced permeability and retention effect [23,24].…”

Cell and nanoparticle transport in tumour microvasculature: the role of size, shape and surface functionality of nanoparticles

“…In cancer treatment and imaging, the standard strategy for maximizing NP accumulation at the tumour sites relies on the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect [11][12][13][14]. At the tumour sites, the vessel walls tend to be discontinuous with fenestrations.…”

“…Therefore, NPs can be modified in various ways to extend their circulation time [13,14]. In the past decades, the design of NPs for biomedical applications has been advanced by studying their biological responses.…”

Controlling the morphology of copolymeric vectors for next generation nanomedicine

“…Bottom-up engineering of BCP NPs include the self-assembly of amphiphiles into filamentous micelles, which mimic the elongated form of biological structures such as filoviruses [20]. Although having a spherical shape, a lot of attention has been given to the structural characteristics and biofunctionality of BCP vesicles or 'polymersomes' due to their ability to encapsulate hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic cargo within a polymeric membrane that can be tuned for permeability, degradability, stimuli-responsiveness and so-called stealth properties [21][22][23]. The value of stealth behaviour for the circulation of polymeric NPs has been welldocumented and is a consequence of the protective layer of hydrophilic polymers on the particle surface [24].…”