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Amino Acid Coordination Driven Self‐Assembly for Enhancing both the Biological Stability and Tumor Accumulation of Curcumin
Author(s) -
Li Yongxin,
Zou Qianli,
Yuan Chengqian,
Li Shukun,
Xing Ruirui,
Yan Xuehai
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201810087
Subject(s) - curcumin , supramolecular chemistry , chemistry , stacking , amino acid , biophysics , drug , combinatorial chemistry , biochemistry , pharmacology , biology , organic chemistry , molecule
Clinical translation of curcumin has been highly obstructed by the rapid degradation and poor tissue absorption of this agent. Herein, we report on the generation of supramolecular curcumin nanoagents through amino acid coordination driven self‐assembly to simultaneously increase the biological stability and tumor accumulation of curcumin. The biological stability of curcumin was significantly improved both through coordination and through molecular stacking. The sizes of these nanoagents can be readily manipulated to facilitate tumor accumulation. These favorable therapeutic features, together with high drug‐loading capacities and responses to pH and redox stimuli, substantially enhanced the antitumor activity of curcumin without discernible side effects. Hence, supramolecular curcumin nanoagents may hold promise in moving forward the clinical application of curcumin as an effective anticancer drug.