Open AccessCollagenase Nanoparticles Enhance the Penetration of Drugs into Pancreatic Tumors
Author(s) -
Assaf Zinger,
Lilach Koren,
Omer Adir,
Maria Poley,
Mohammed Alyan,
Zvi Yaari,
Nadav Noor,
Nitzan Krinsky,
Assaf Simon,
Hadas Gibori,
Majd Krayem,
Yelena Mumblat,
Shira Kasten,
Sivan Ofir,
Eran Fridman,
Neta Milman,
Michael M Lübtow,
Lior Liba,
Jeny Shklover,
Janna ShainskyRoitman,
Yoav Binenbaum,
Dov Hershkovitz,
Ziv Gil,
Tal Dvir,
Robert Luxenhofer,
Ronit SatchiFainaro,
Avi Schroeder
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acs nano
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.554
H-Index - 382
eISSN - 1936-086X
pISSN - 1936-0851
DOI - 10.1021/acsnano.9b02395
Subject(s) - collagenase , paclitaxel , stroma , extracellular matrix , pancreatic cancer , drug delivery , gemcitabine , cancer research , pancreas , drug , chemistry , pharmacology , pancreatic tumor , metastasis , extracellular , medicine , pathology , cancer , enzyme , biochemistry , immunohistochemistry , organic chemistry
Overexpressed extracellular matrix (ECM) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) limits drug penetration into the tumor and is associated with poor prognosis. Here, we demonstrate that a pretreatment based on a proteolytic-enzyme nanoparticle system disassembles the dense PDAC collagen stroma and increases drug penetration into the pancreatic tumor. More specifically, the collagozome, a 100 nm liposome encapsulating collagenase, was rationally designed to protect the collagenase from premature deactivation and prolonged its release rate at the target site. Collagen is the main component of the PDAC stroma, reaching 12.8 ± 2.3% vol in diseased mice pancreases, compared to 1.4 ± 0.4% in healthy mice. Upon intravenous injection of the collagozome, ∼1% of the injected dose reached the pancreas over 8 h, reducing the level of fibrotic tissue to 5.6 ± 0.8%. The collagozome pretreatment allowed increased drug penetration into the pancreas and improved PDAC treatment. PDAC tumors, pretreated with the collagozome followed by paclitaxel micelles, were 87% smaller than tumors pretreated with empty liposomes followed by paclitaxel micelles. Interestingly, degrading the ECM did not increase the number of circulating tumor cells or metastasis. This strategy holds promise for degrading the extracellular stroma in other diseases as well, such as liver fibrosis, enhancing tissue permeability before drug administration.