Tumor‐Targeted Poly(ArgGlyAsp) Nanocapsules for Personalized Cancer Therapy – In Vivo Study

Abstract

The arginine‐glycine‐glutamic acid (RGD) sequence, an αvβ3 integrin recognition site, is overexpressed in malignancies and neovasculature, making it a potential therapeutic target. Herein, efficacy/safety of tumor‐targeted RGD‐based proteinoid nanocapsules (NCs) entrapping a synergistic combination of two drugs—palbociclib (Pal), a CDK4/6 inhibitor, and alpelisib (Alp), a P13K inhibitor, as a cancer treatment, is assessed. P(RGD) proteinoid polymers are produced by thermal step‐growth polymerization of R, G, and D under an inert atmosphere. P(RGD) NCs, hollow and encapsulating 25 w% each of Pal and Alp, are formed by self‐assembly of the proteinoid polymer. The encapsulation yields of Pal and Alp are 72% and 95%, respectively. Long‐term stability, controlled release, cellular uptake,synergistic cytotoxicity, and induced cell death are evident from in vitro experiments. Findings from in vivo breast, colon and gastric patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) mice experiments are consistent with the in vitro studies showing that the response to treatment with drug‐loaded NCs is similar to that elicited by free drugs, with reduced side effects. The study demonstrates the potential clinical utility of P(RGD) NCs for cancer treatment.