Folate-conjugated methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ɛ-caprolactone) amphiphilic block copolymeric micelles for tumor-targeted drug delivery

Amphiphilic block copolymers composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) were synthesized and then conjugated with folic acid to produce a folate-receptor-targeted drug carrier for tumor-specific drug delivery. Folate-conjugated MPEG/PCL micelles containing the anticancer drug paclitaxel were prepared by micelle formation in aqueous medium. The size of the folate-conjugated MPEG/PCL micelles formed was about 50-130 nm, depending on the molecular weight of block copolymers, and was maintained at less than 150 nm even after loading with paclitaxel. The in vitro release profile of the paclitaxel from the MPEG/PCL micelles exhibited no initial burst release and showed sustained release. Paclitaxel-loaded folate-conjugated MPEG/PCL micelles (PFOL50) exhibited much higher cytotoxicity for cancer cells, such as MCF-7 and HeLa cells, than MPEG/PCL micelles without the folate group (PMEP50). Confocal image analysis revealed that fluorescent paclitaxel-loaded PFOL50 micelles were endocytosed into MCF-7 cells through the interaction with overexpressed folate receptors on the surface of the cancer cells.