Libor Kostka

Coating of adenovirus type 5 with polymers containing quaternary amines prevents binding to blood components.

Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) gene therapy vectors require protection against antibodies, complement proteins and blood cells if they are to be delivered intravenously to treat metastatic disease. Such protection can be achieved by chemically modifying Ad5 with polymers based on hydrophilic HPMA. Here, such polymers were designed to include side chains bearing reactive carbonyl thiazolidine-2-thione groups (TTs) to covalently modify available amino groups of the lysine residues in the Ad5 capsid. Furthermore, the inclusion of side chains bearing positively charged quaternary ammonium groups (QAs) was designed to improve electrostatic interaction of the polymers with negatively charged Ad5 hexon protein. Finally, to enable triggered uncoating and reactivation of the Ad5, either the TTs or both the TTs and the QAs were linked to polymer backbone via reductively degradable disulfide bonds. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that these polymers covalently modified Ad5 capsid proteins in a reduction reversible manner. In infection studies, polymers containing QAs prevented binding of coagulation factor X to Ad5. Furthermore, the antibody and complement mediated binding of Ad5 to erythrocytes was reduced by such polymers (>95% without polymer, 25% following coating). These data indicate that coating Ad5 therapeutics with such polymers will improve blood circulation half-life and deposition at disease sites.

Enhanced Tumor Uptake and Penetration of Virotherapy Using Polymer Stealthing and Focused Ultrasound

Background Oncolytic viruses are among the most powerful and selective cancer therapeutics under development and are showing robust activity in clinical trials, particularly when administered directly into tumor nodules. However, their intravenous administration to treat metastatic disease has been stymied by unfavorable pharmacokinetics and inefficient accumulation in and penetration through tumors. Methods Adenovirus (Ad) was “stealthed” with a new N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide polymer, and circulation kinetics were characterized in Balb/C SCID mice (n = 8 per group) bearing human ZR-75-1 xenograft tumors. Then, to noninvasively increase extravasation of the circulating polymer-coated Ad into the tumor, it was coinjected with gas microbubbles and the tumor was exposed to 0.5 MHz focused ultrasound at peak rarefactional pressure of 1.2MPa. These ultrasound exposure conditions were designed to trigger inertial cavitation, an acoustic phenomenon that produces shock waves and can be remotely monitored in real-time. Groups were compared with Student t test or one-way analysis of variance with Tukey correction where groups were greater than two. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Polymer-coating of Ad reduced hepatic sequestration, infection (>8000-fold; P < .001), and toxicity and improved circulation half-life (>50-fold; P = .001). Combination of polymer-coated Ad, gas bubbles, and focused ultrasound enhanced tumor infection >30-fold; (4×106 photons/sec/cm2; standard deviation = 3×106 with ultrasound vs 1.3×105; standard deviation = 1×105 without ultrasound; P = .03) and penetration, enabling kill of cells more than 100 microns from the nearest blood vessel. This led to substantial and statistically significant retardation of tumor growth and increased survival. Conclusions Combining drug stealthing and ultrasound-induced cavitation may ultimately enhance the efficacy of a range of powerful therapeutics, thereby improving the treatment of metastatic cancer.

Dual fluorescent HPMA copolymers for passive tumor targeting with pH-sensitive drug release II: impact of release rate on biodistribution.

In recent years, polymer drug carriers based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers with pH-triggered drug release have shown enhanced uptake in solid tumors and excellent antitumor activity. Here, the impact of the structure of the acid-labile spacer between the drug and the polymer carrier on the biodistribution of both the drug and the carrier was studied using in vivo noninvasive multispectral optical imaging of dual fluorescently labeled HPMA copolymers. Five different spacers containing a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond were synthesized and used to combine a fluorescent model drug with a polymer backbone, conjugated with another non-releasable fluorescent dye. Two copolymers differing in polymer chain structure (linear and star-like) and molecular weight (30 and 200kDa) were used to distinguish between carriers with molecular weights above and below the limit for renal filtration. The rate of model drug release from the conjugates was determined in vitro. The biodistributions of the six most promising conjugates were investigated in vivo in athymic nude mice inoculated with human colon carcinoma xenograft. The structure of the spacer in the vicinity of the hydrazone bond significantly influenced the release rate of the model drug. The slow release rate of a pyridyl group bearing spacer resulted in a greater amount of the model drug being transported to the tumor, which was independent of the carrier structure. The results of this study emphasize the importance of careful selection of the structure and appropriate spacer when designing polymer conjugates intended for passive tumor targeting.

Coating of Vesicles with Hydrophilic Reactive Polymers

Vesicles bearing either cationic (amino) groups or zwitterionic (amino acid) groups on the surface were coated with a reactive multivalent hydrophilic N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide polymer (PHPMA) and its positively charged analogue (3 mol % quaternary ammonium groups), both having reactive thiazolidine-2-thione (TT) groups randomly distributed along the polymer chain. The vesicles were dispersed in water at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. The effect of surface charges of model vesicles on the surface coating efficiency was evaluated. The changes in the weight-average molecular weight, in the hydrodynamic size, and in the zeta-potential of model vesicles were tested using light scattering methods. The most effective coating of vesicles was observed for the zwitterionic vesicles coated with the positively charged hydrophilic PHPMA-TT copolymer at a concentration of reactive polymer cp = 2 mg/mL. The coating efficiency was more than 1 order of magnitude higher than that obtained for positively charged vesicles coated by the uncharged hydrophilic polymer at the same cp.

Synthesis and Properties of Star HPMA Copolymer Nanocarriers Synthesised by RAFT Polymerisation Designed for Selective Anticancer Drug Delivery and Imaging

High-molecular-weight star polymer drug nanocarriers intended for the treatment and/or visualisation of solid tumours were synthesised, and their physico-chemical and preliminary in vitro biological properties were determined. The water-soluble star polymer carriers were prepared by the grafting of poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers by hetero-telechelic N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers, synthesised by the controlled radical Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. The well-defined star copolymers with Mw values ranging from 2 · 10(5) to 6 · 10(5) showing a low dispersity (approximately 1.2) were prepared in a high yield. A model anticancer drug, doxorubicin, was bound to the star polymer through a hydrazone bond, enabling the pH-controlled drug release in the target tumour tissue. The activated polymer arm ends of the star copolymer carrier enable a one-point attachment for the targeting ligands and/or a labelling moiety. In this study, the model TAMRA fluorescent dye was used to prove the feasibility of the polymer carrier visualisation by optical imaging in vitro. The tailor-made structure of the star polymer carriers should facilitate the synthesis of targeted polymer-drug conjugates, even polymer theranostics, for simultaneous tumour drug delivery and imaging.

HPMA Copolymer Conjugates of DOX and Mitomycin C for Combination Therapy: Physicochemical Characterization, Cytotoxic Effects, Combination Index Analysis, and Anti-Tumor Efficacy

The synthesis, characterization and results of evaluation of the biological behavior of HPMA copolymer conjugates bearing anti-cancer drugs doxorubicin and mitomycin C are described. Two HPMA copolymer carrier types were synthesized: the linear copolymer and the biodegradable high-molecular-weight diblock copolymer containing a degradable disulfide bond. The polymer-drug conjugates incubated in buffers modeling the intracellular environment released the drugs more rapidly than those incubated in bloodstream conditions. Significant in vitro and in vivo antitumor synergistic activity of the conjugates in the treatment of EL-4 T-cell demonstrates their high potential for solid tumor treatment.

Tumor-targeted micelle-forming block copolymers for overcoming of multidrug resistance.

&NA; New amphiphilic diblock polymer nanotherapeutics serving simultaneously as a drug delivery system and an inhibitor of multidrug resistance were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their physico‐chemical and biological characteristics. The amphiphilic character of the diblock polymer, containing a hydrophilic block based on the N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer and a hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) block (PPO), caused self‐assembly into polymer micelles with an increased hydrodynamic radius (Rh of approximately 15 nm) in aqueous solutions. Doxorubicin (Dox), as a cytostatic drug, was bound to the diblock polymer through a pH‐sensitive hydrazone bond, enabling prolonged circulation in blood, the delivery of Dox into a solid tumor and the subsequent stimuli‐sensitive controlled release within the tumor mass and tumor cells at a decreased pH. The applicability of micellar nanotherapeutics as drug carriers was confirmed by an in vivo evaluation using EL4 lymphoma‐bearing C57BL/6 mice. We observed significantly higher accumulation of micellar conjugates in a solid tumor because of the EPR effect compared with similar polymer‐drug conjugates that do not form micellar structures or with the parent free drug. In addition, highly increased anti‐tumor efficacy of the micellar polymer nanotherapeutics, even at a sub‐optimal dose, was observed. The presence of PPO in the structure of the diblock polymer ensured, during in vitro tests on human and mouse drug‐sensitive and resistant cancer cell lines, the inhibition of P‐glycoprotein, one of the most frequently expressed ATP‐dependent efflux pump that causes multidrug resistance. In addition, we observed highly increased rate of the uptake of the diblock polymer nanotherapeutics within the cells. We suppose that combination of unique properties based on MDR inhibition, stimuli sensitiveness (pH sensitive activation of drug), improved pharmacokinetics and increased uptake into the cells made the described polymer micelle a good candidate for investigation as potential drug delivery system. Graphical abstract Figure. No caption available.

Inhibitor–GCPII Interaction: Selective and Robust System for Targeting Cancer Cells with Structurally Diverse Nanoparticles

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a membrane protease overexpressed by prostate cancer cells and detected in the neovasculature of most solid tumors. Targeting GCPII with inhibitor-bearing nanoparticles can enable recognition, imaging, and delivery of treatments to cancer cells. Compared to methods based on antibodies and other large biomolecules, inhibitor-mediated targeting benefits from the low molecular weight of the inhibitor molecules, which are typically stable, easy-to-handle, and able to bind the enzyme with very high affinity. Although GCPII is established as a molecular target, comparing previously reported results is difficult due to the different methodological approaches used. In this work, we investigate the robustness and limitations of GCPII targeting with a diverse range of inhibitor-bearing nanoparticles (various structures, sizes, bionanointerfaces, conjugation chemistry, and surface densities of attached inhibitors). Polymer-coated nanodiamonds, virus-like particles based on bacteriophage Qβ and mouse polyomavirus, and polymeric poly(HPMA) nanoparticles with inhibitors attached by different means were synthesized and characterized. We evaluated their ability to bind GCPII and interact with cancer cells using surface plasmon resonance, inhibition assay, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. Regardless of the diversity of the investigated nanosystems, they all strongly interact with GCPII (most with low picomolar Ki values) and effectively target GCPII-expressing cells. The robustness of this approach was limited only by the quality of the nanoparticle bionanointerface, which must be properly designed by adding a sufficient density of hydrophilic protective polymers. We conclude that the targeting of cancer cells overexpressing GCPII is a viable approach transferable to a broad diversity of nanosystems.

Inhibitor-Decorated Polymer Conjugates Targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein

Proteases are directly involved in cancer pathogenesis. Expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is upregulated in stromal fibroblasts in more than 90% of epithelial cancers and is associated with tumor progression. FAP expression is minimal or absent in most normal adult tissues, suggesting its promise as a target for the diagnosis or treatment of various cancers. Here, we report preparation of a polymer conjugate (an iBody) containing a FAP-specific inhibitor as the targeting ligand. The iBody inhibits both human and mouse FAP with low nanomolar inhibition constants but does not inhibit close FAP homologues dipeptidyl peptidase IV, dipeptidyl peptidase 9, and prolyl oligopeptidase. We demonstrate the applicability of this iBody for the isolation of FAP from cell lysates and blood serum as well as for its detection by ELISA, Western blot, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. Our results show the iBody is a useful tool for FAP targeting in vitro and potentially also for specific anticancer drug delivery.

Passive Tumor Targeting of Polymer Therapeutics: In Vivo Imaging of Both the Polymer Carrier and the Enzymatically Cleavable Drug Model

The enzymatic release of a model drug from a polymer carrier inside a tumor using multispectral optical imaging in vivo in nude mice bearing colorectal carcinomas HT-29 and DLD-1 is demonstrated. Much higher release rate in vivo from a linear (30 kDa) (N-2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide-based polymer compared with a high molecular weight branched (170 kDa) polymer conjugate is observed, probably due to steric hindrance of the cleavable spacer of the latter polymer to proteolytic enzymes. There is no significant difference in the relative biodistribution of the two polymers, but the branched polymer circulates much longer. Both polymers are labeled with two different fluorophores. Dyomics-676 as a drug model is attached to the polymer via an enzymatically cleavable Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly spacer; Dyomics 782 is bound to the same polymer via a nondegradable amide bond, enabling the tracking of the polymer carrier after i.v. application to mice.