Development of slightly acidic pH-sensitive nanoparticles being capable of size-selective drug release for cancer therapy and diagnosis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860030
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Physical pharmacy
• Research Institution: Kyoto Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: HAMA Susumu 京都薬科大学, 薬学部, 講師 (60438041)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍微小環境 / DDS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In anti-cancer therapy mediated by a liposome-based drug delivery system (DDS), overall efficacy depends on the release efficiency of anti-cancer drug from the liposomes after the delivery to tumor tissue. In this study, I developed liposomes incorporating peptide, which can alter the physicochemical property in response to tumoral acidic pH, for tumor-specific drug release. Therefore, I designed a slightly acidic pH-sensitive membrane perturbable peptide (SAMP), and constructed DDS by the incorporation of SAMP into liposomal membrane (SAMP-lipo). In the cells treated with SAMP-lipo co-encapsulating low- and high-molecular drug, SAMP-lipo could release only low-molecular drugs outside of cells and deliver only high-molecular drugs into cancer cells at slightly acidic pH. These results suggest that SAMP-lipo are a novel intelligent nanoparticle being capable of the effective and selective release of low-molecular drugs in response to tumoral acidic pH.

Free Research Field

薬物送達学