Advanced nanocarriers for an antitumor peptide

In this work, tigapotide (PCK3145) was incorporated into novel nanocarriers based on polymeric, lipidic, and dendrimeric components, in order to maximize the advantages of the drug delivery process and possibly its biological properties. PCK3145 was incorporated into lipidic nanocarriers composed of Egg phosphatidylcholine (EggPC) and dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) (EggPC:PCK3145 and DPPC:PCK3145, 9:0.2 molar ratio), into cationic liposomes composed of EggPC:SA:PCK3145 and DPPC:SA:PCK3145 (9:1:0.2 molar ratio) into complexes with the block polyelectrolyte (quaternized poly[3,5-bis(dimethylaminomethylene)hydroxystyrene]-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (QNPHOSEO) and finally into dendrimeric structures (i.e., PAMAM G4). Light scattering techniques are used in order to examine the size, the size distribution and the Z-potential of the nanocarriers in aqueous and biological media. Fluorescence spectroscopy was utilized in an attempt to extract information on the internal nanostructure and microenvironment of polyelectrolyte/PCK3145 aggregates. Therefore, these studies could be a rational roadmap for producing various effective nanocarriers in order to ameliorate the pharmacokinetic behavior and safety issues of antitumor and anticancer biomolecules.