Open AccessRadiation‐Sensitive Dendrimer‐Based Drug Delivery System
Author(s) -
Wu SzuYuan,
Chou HsiaoYing,
Yuh ChiouHwa,
Mekuria Shewaye Lakew,
Kao YuChih,
Tsai HsiehChih
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.201700339
Subject(s) - hela , doxorubicin , radiosensitizer , drug delivery , chemistry , cytotoxicity , in vivo , drug , dendrimer , pharmacology , cancer cell , radiation therapy , cancer research , chemotherapy , in vitro , cancer , biochemistry , medicine , biology , surgery , organic chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is used to enhance local drug delivery while reducing off‐target tissue effects. Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded into l ‐cysteine modified G4.5 dendrimer (GC/DOX) and released at different pH values in the presence and absence of γ‐radiation. Presence of γ‐radiation significantly improves DOX release from the GC/DOX under acidic pH conditions, suggesting that GC dendrimer is a radiation‐sensitive drug delivery system. GC/DOX is further evaluated by determining cytotoxicity in uterine cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. GC/DOX shows high affinity for cancer cells and effective drug release following an external stimulus (radiation exposure), whereas an in vivo zebrafish study confirms that l ‐cysteine acts as a radiosensitizer. GC/DOX treatment combined with radiotherapy synergistically and successfully inhibits cancer cell growth.