Twin-Arginine Translocation Peptide Conjugated Epirubicin-Loaded Nanoparticles for Enhanced Tumor Penetrating and Targeting

One major obstacle in the application of drug delivery systems for cancer chemotherapy is their poor penetration in tumor tissues. Conjugating active ligand moieties to the surface of nanoparticles may be a promising approach for enhancing the tumor accumulation and penetration of nanoparticles. Herein, the cell-penetrating peptide twin-arginine translocation (Tat)-conjugated epirubicin-loaded poly(lactic-glycolic acid) nanoparticles were prepared to achieve deep tumor penetration. The morphology and size of nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, and the biological behaviors of nanoparticles were evaluated. It is demonstrated that Tat-conjugated nanoparticles have a significant improvement in antitumor activity and biodistribution compared with nonconjugated nanoparticles. Importantly, Tat conjugated on the surface of nanoparticles could facilitate the encapsulated drug penetration into deeper tumor tissue. Additionally, Tat-conjugated nanoparticles have good biocompatibility, as demonstrated by hemolytic tests, in vitro cytotoxicity, and histology study. These results suggested that the Tat-conjugated nanoparticles, as a powerful delivery system for chemotherapeutic drug, would have a promising application in human cancer therapy.