Techniques: Amphiphilic dendrimer-based micelles for chemotherapy delivery
Micelle nanoparticles formed from amphiphilic dendrimers could improve delivery of doxorubicin to cancer cells. Doxorubicin was mixed with self-assembling amphiphilic dendrimers composed of a hydrophilic polyamidoamine dendron linked with two hydrophobic C18 alkyl chains to form ~10-nm spherical drug-loaded micelle nanoparticles. In a panel of human cancer cell lines, the doxorubicin-loaded micelles increased cell killing compared with free doxorubicin or Doxil liposomal doxorubicin. In a mouse xenograft model of doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer, injection of the doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles decreased tumor growth and doxorubicin-associated toxicity compared with free doxorubicin. Next steps could include loading the micelle nanoparticles with other chemotherapy agents and evaluating them in animal models of cancer...